We'll Look Back and Laugh
by Tiny.Fishy
Summary: Kobayashi Moriko is sent to infiltrate Las Noches. But when she's captured, the unexpected unfolds. GrimmjowxOC. This follows the storyline so there are SPOILERS EVERYWHERE. Rated M for language, violence and smut.
1. Fatigued For Now

**It's been a while since I've posted something. A long while. I've just started Bleach. It's quite awesome. Totally awesome.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This story is written a bit differently from my other stories. It indistinguishably switches between third and first person (because I'm too lazy to add in the words, "he/she thought…")**

**Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Because he's cool like that.**

* * *

><p>It was nighttime in the Soul Society. Everyone was weathered and spent from the reveal of Aizen's master plan and conspiracy. Who would've thought?<p>

The one hurt the most was the Lieutenant of the former captain of the 5th Division. Momo Hinamori.

A miniscule red fox padded across the halls of the Recovery Center, nodding at the Shinigami that passed by, and then stopped at the foot of a locked door. The small animal pawed at the door and it slid open almost instantaneously.

The room was dark, but shadows indicated where there was something solid. Furniture, definitely a bed, and a body. The fox stalked over to the side of the bed. It leaped onto the soft mattress.

There was a young woman lying there. Frozen on her face was an expression of worry, dismay and fear. Her dark locks formed a halo around this expression, seeming to soften it slightly. One couldn't tell by looking at the surface, but there was a deep stab wound in her chest, extending through her back.

The tiny fox observed the young woman's shallow breathing, staring at her with bright light blue eyes. That Aizen. He had manipulated all of them. Especially Hinamori-chan. The bastard.

The fox pawed at the edge of the blanket till Hinamori awoke. There had been a slight change in the young woman's breathing, the steady shallow even breaths became deep and ragged, as if she were underwater.

"Hinamori," said the concerned fox. Hinamori smiled weakly and shifted her gaze to the tiny animal near her right hand. Its bright eyes radiated worry.

"I'm fine, Moriko-chan." The fox relaxed but only slightly. The worry was still evident in its eyes. The Lieutenant coughed. Every muscle in the fox tensed again, undoing the slight relaxation. Look, Aizen-sama. Look what you've done to this poor girl.

"I'll kill him," snarled the fox. Panic struck the girl on the bed. If she could, she would flail. The fox continued to growl, low and menacing.

"No!" Hinamori coughed. "Not Aizen-sama." The fox wanted to shriek. Aizen-sama? Aizen-_sama_! The man is responsible for your current condition. He'll give us nothing but grief from now on. I have the right to kill him!

"Fuck that!" A note of disapproval hung over the fox. It sighed. "He was my captain, too, Hinamori." A spark of compassion lit up in the young girl's eyes, reassuring the fox. However, it was not reassured.

Before Hinamori could open her mouth to speak again, the fox had already leaped from the bed and was out the door. The young woman just smiled and sighed, then resumed resting.

* * *

><p>The fox wandered around the open hallways, quite bored. Sure, there was plenty to do. After all, Aizen, Tousen and Ichimaru had just deserted the Soul Society and were creating their own super army of Hollow-Shinigami hybrid.<p>

That was something to worry about.

But the fox didn't worry. It couldn't worry. Somehow, it simply knew that everything would work out and Aizen would die a terrible death, perhaps with some sort of castration involved.

The orange haired kid … what was his name? Ichigo? Yeah, that's right. The human who had invaded the Soul Society. The human who handed the some Captains' asses to them on a silver platter. That's the one.

That kid, the strawberry. He had great potential. The fox could feel it. He had already achieved Ban Kai. He wasn't even a Captain. His reiatsu rivaled Byakuya-taichou's. At this point, he could learn anything, do anything.

That was frightening. There were so many different outcomes. Say he decided to join Aizen. That was a terrifying possibility. Say he decided to become a Hollow-Shinigami hybrid.

…

Pshaw. Like that would happen.

"Moriko-chan!" The fox turned to find a busty blonde at the end of the hallway, waving cheerily.

"Rangiku. Yo," the fox replied. Had it a human face, it would be smirking. But it had a fox face, so it merely seemed like it was grinning mischievously, like the trickster it was. Foxes were tricky. Or so They said. But whoever They was … no one knew.

"Whatchoo doing out here, Mo-ri-ko?" The woman took a seat next to the fox, dangling her legs and feet off the open half of the walkway.

"Being bored," the fox replied. Rangiku chuckled. There was silence radiating around each of them. The silence grew larger and larger until their separate silences conjoined to form one big awkward silence.

"Guess what?" The fox just looked at Rangiku. No guessing games now. It was not a child, even though it had the appearance of a kit.

The blonde glanced sideways to see the fox's reaction. There was no readable expression, but perhaps as a human, it would be one of impatience.

"Well, I overheard Ikkaku and Yumichika talking about going to the Human World!" The fox was not impressed. Rangiku continued.

"There are new threats. Aizen's starting an army." The fox perked up. "They're called Arrancar. Hollows who've removed their masks to gain Shinigami powers. Anyway, Aizen is interested in Ichigo, so we need to go protect him. And the humans."

Pssh. Those humans.

"I'm going with you," the fox announced. It wasn't a question or a suggestion, merely a statement. One Rangiku knew she couldn't contest. Rangiku nodded in approval, then broke into a silly grin.

"Oh, Moriko-chan, this is great! Hitsugaya-taichou will love this!" The big-breasted woman crushed the fox to her chest. The small animal began to squirm and kick and yelp. Can't breathe! There's no air in a woman's boobs! Argh…

When Rangiku let go, the face of the red fox was now blue.

"Never again…" it muttered angrily. Then it stalked away.

* * *

><p>It was still roaming the hallways, waiting for the time when the portal to the Human World would open up. Then it saw a short silver-haired kid approaching it. Face of a child, intelligence way past a normal adult's. Oh, the benefits of living for 100+ years.<p>

"Ah, Moriko," Hitsugaya greeted. The fox nodded in acknowledgement. "What are you up to?"

"Roaming," the fox replied. "Just roaming." Hitsugaya nodded.

Then, before the Captain could walk away, the fox announced, "I'm going with you to the Human World. Did Rangiku tell you?" Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed noticeably. It was hard to not notice since his eyes were oh so wide. Wide as a child's.

"We're going to the Human World?" was his response. The fox barked a laugh. The Captain merely eyed the animal suspiciously. The fox coughed.

"Oh. Erm. Well, yes." A mysterious shadow appeared over Hitsugaya's eyes. Uh-oh. The trademark sign of seething anger. Especially in omakes.

"Excuse me for a bit, Moriko," the young Captain gritted through clenched teeth. He was visibly shaking. The fox retreated in fear. Fuck…

Hitsugaya breezed past, leaving a trail of ice in his wake. The fox shivered violently, its hairs standing on end. Before the young man could turn the corner, the fox shouted, "If we _are_ going, I'm coming!" There was no time for argument. Good.

* * *

><p>Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku, Hitsugaya-taichou and Moriko the fox were gathered in front of a portal to the Human World. It looked like wooden sliding doors.<p>

"You all ready for this?" Renji asked. Whoa, okay. He was suddenly the unofficial leader of this rag-tag team. How did that happen?

"Excuse me. I'm supposed to be asking that," said the young 10th Division captain. The fox barked out a laugh. It was smothered quickly when Renji shot a scathing glare at the animal. His eyes scorched.

"Shut up, Third Seat."

Yes, Moriko was the Third Seat of the 5th Division, under the former Captain Aizen and Lieutenant Hinamori.

But really. Pulling rank. Dick move. One would expect more from the Lieutenant of the 6th Division.

"Watch your mouth…" the fox remarked. "Pineapple bitch…" Rangiku suppressed a giggle.

"_WHAT!#!_" Rukia held Renji back by his Shinigami uniform while Ikkaku and Yumichika stepped to form a human barrier between the fox and the man.

"It's here." Suddenly, they all went whooshing through the sliding doors, into the world of Humans.

* * *

><p>"So… which room is it?"<p>

"Ehh… that one? I think."

"No idea."

"What? Didn't you bring your not with you when we left?"

"Why didn't I get a note… I have no sense of direction! Fuck."

"Ah… I lost it~!"

"AHAHAHAHAHA."

"Lost it! What's wrong with you!"

"Stop arguing! We can just pick up on their spiritual pressure."

"What if they have it concealed…?"

"Shut up."

"Ha!"

"It's the first time I'm in this thing. I still can't control my spiritual pressure properly."

"That's what he said…?"

"Please excuse his stupidity."

"I'm not stupid!"

"Objection?"

"By the way, how can you act so natural in that thing!"

"I'm an animal. Duh. Dumbfuck."

"I mean… this shirt is so tight and restrictive…"

"Whoa. Ikkaku. Shouldn't Rangiku be saying that?"

"Then just pull the shirt out like us."

"Idiot! If I pull it out, I can't wear the wooden sword on my belt! It's all because you said we couldn't bring real swords. That's why I'm making do with a wooden one."

"That was not our idea. It's the law."

"So why can't we carry real swords! That's one crappy law!"

"If you swung a real sword around, the law will fuck you over and you'll go to prison and be someone's bitch. By the way… Where's Rukia?"

"SHUT UP. ALL OF YOU!

"Someone's pissy…"

"Don't draw attention to yourselves. Just walk along quietly."

"…"

"We're here! This is it! I'm opening!"

The doors to Ichigo's classroom slid open to reveal a red-headed punk with pineapple hair, a feminine man with chicken hair, a bald man, a blonde with ginormous boobs, and a short elementary kid with silver hair. And a fox.

All in the Karakura High uniforms. But the fox. Of course. It was an animal.

"How's it going, Ichigo?" The strawberry turned in surprise, practically dropping from shock.

"Renji! Ikkaku! Yumichika! Rangiku-san! Toshiro!"

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou to you."

"What, no 'hello, fox-I've-never-seen-before'?" the fox scoffed. It rolled its eyes and yawned.

"What are you guys doing here?" The teenager had totally ignored Moriko. How rude.

Renji stepped up to explain. "It's an order. They said that to prepare for a direct confrontation with the Arrancar, we were to go to the Human World and meet up with an acting-Shinigami group."

Ichigo looked mystified. "What's that Aran-something-something?" Seriously?

Renji was in absolute shock. "What! You didn't even know who they were and you started fighting!"

A new voice came to the scene from outside the room. It was female. Commanding. Demanding respect. One of nobility and friendship. Obviously a main character.

"Dimwit! They're the ones that kicked your ass a few days ago!" The new voice demanded Ichigo's full attention towards the window. A hand grabbed the windowsill. Up swung a girl in the Karakura High uniform, with short hair and piercing eyes.

Rukia Kuchiki.

What the hell. Why did she get to come in through the window? Why was she the only one that got a dynamic entrance? All the rest of us had to wander around like dumbfucks until we came across the right classroom.

Ugh.

Upon seeing her, Ichigo stuttered, taken aback and grinned nervously. He was obviously relieved yet very very confused. Rukia's eyes narrowed. Then she leaped from the window sill and high jump kicked the teenager in the face.

Renji held him still while Rukia proceeded to beat the crap out of him. As amusing as this was, Moriko didn't feel any need to stay. So it stalked off, out of the school without any recognition or suspicion. Apparently, it wasn't that strange that foxes wandered off in the middle of nowhere.

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><p>It wandered town for a while. It had been … maybe 5 minutes since Moriko had left the school. It was boring. It was school. It was prison.<p>

Karakura town was interesting. It was nothing like the Soul Society. It was nice and hospitable and rather peaceful. But not as peaceful as the Soul Society. There was always something to spice up their lives, something to make living interesting.

But not in the Soul Society. It was only a few times in a century that an occurrence like this Aizen matter popped up. And damn. It was fucking exhilarating.

Suddenly, Moriko felt herself being drawn to a strange reiatsu. Faint, but still perceptible. As she walked closer and closer to the source, the reiatsu began to feel strangely familiar. Disturbingly familiar, in fact.

The fox padded its way to a suspicious, dingy-looking shop. There was nothing that indicated special qualities. It, overall, was run-down and plain. Damn you, fucking feet, take me to useless places, why don't you.

The fox sat down in front of the shop expectantly, as if it were going to stand up on two hairy man legs and do a little dance. It waited and waited, but there was nothing remarkable. Well, there was a cat on the rooftops. But cats were expected to roam rooftops, hmm?

Wait. Full stop.

This cat. This black cat. With golden eyes. This-!

Suddenly, the cat leaped and pounced the fox, pawing at it with retracted claws. The fox yelped and rolled over, struggling to get to its feet. But once that was accomplished, the cat merely pounced again, mischief glinting in its golden eyes.

The fox grinned. The two were both on their feet now, facing each other, watching each other, analyzing each other. It was a game of speed and strategy now. After a moment of anticipation, the two disappeared in a blur of red and black.

The cat followed the fox into the shop, careful not to wreck anything on the way in. The fox was just as careful, landing softly on merchandise and leaping to the floor. They wrestled in the center of the shop, undisturbed and undisturbing, making as little commotion as possible.

"Yoruichi!" The front door to the shop slid open to reveal a slightly irritated blonde man with a striped bucket hat, wooden sandals, and a cane. He was rather surprised to come across Yoruichi pinning a petite red fox to the ground.

Said red fox rolled its eyes and looked up to the cat above it. It smirked. Animal smirked.

The two animals suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. It cleared quickly to reveal two women, one on top of the other, straddling her. One had soft dark skin, piercing golden eyes and long flowing purple hair. The other was tanned yet light, had wide light blue eyes and a mess of copper locks.

Also, they were both completely naked.

It wasn't surprising that Kisuke fainted of blood loss.

* * *

><p>"Well, Moriko-san, we weren't really expecting you," Kisuke remarked, holding a tissue to his nose. He had recovered, with Yoruichi's help. Hehe. Help. Yeah right.<p>

They were sitting in a room in the back of the shop, all on mats. It was a plain room, yet it also seemed to be Yoruichi's room. Not that Yoruichi slept there, of course.

"To tell the truth, I wasn't really expecting you to expect me either," the former-fox replied. She rubbed her smooth, furless skin and rumpled her tangled hair. The sound of her voice was foreign to her. Strange. Damn, it was good to be back.

"So. Yoruichi-sama. How are things going with this pervert here?" Moriko asked salaciously, her question absolutely dripping with perverse suggestion. Yoruichi recognized her perviness and grinned a catlike grin. Kisuke blushed.

"Oh, he's great. Still got it."

Before the shop owner could blurt out something embarrassing, Moriko stood up and bowed.

"Thanks for your hospitality. But I hafta meet up with the rest of my 'people,'" Moriko explained, albeit sarcastically, walking to the door. Yoruichi grinned and nodded. As Moriko passed through the door, she shouted, "Have fun! But not too much. And use protection!"

* * *

><p>"Ah, fuck, why are we hiding here?"<p>

"Moriko? Is that you?"

"Yes. Obviously. I don't sound anything like Rangiku, do I?"

"No … I just…"

"HEY. That was not appropriate. I'll cut off your hand next time."

"Yo-You're human!"

"Yes. Now think about what you just felt. And bask. That will be the last time you feel that on any woman in your entire lifetime."

"SSHH! Shut up."

Suddenly, the four of them burst from the ceiling, much to Ichigo's surprise. He yelped and shrieked at Renji while Rangiku attempted to explain. Suddenly, a lion doll plushie… thing leaped from the floor and attempted to glomp Rangiku. Undoubtedly, her breasts were actually super magnets.

"Are all things in the Human World perverts?" Moriko commented, picking up the doll. It yelped. Interesting. It was just a regular plushie, yet it seemed to be fully functional. It was like something the child-version of Mayuri would design. Or maybe Nemu. Yeah. Nemu.

Upon further inspection, Moriko realized that they had inserted a Mod-Soul into the doll. Genius!

"Uhh. Who are you?" Ichigo asked, pointing at the former-fox. Pointing. How rude. Was this child taught no manners?

"Well, I guess it's logical you've never seen me in my human form before. I was a fox earlier. When we visited your school and such." Ichigo was still silent. Moriko sighed. "I suppose you didn't notice me there either."

Ichigo was still silent. Sheesh. This boy was nonobservant. He seemed like the type that would rush recklessly into battle without evaluating his opponents' skills. Yep. He was that type exactly. This boy was the fate of the Soul Society?

Pssh.

She sat on the floor as the rest of the gang explained how they got to be there. Sounded like a picnic, that's what it sounded like. One stringing along the other until it created a chain. A short lived chain that broke off at Hitsugaya. The chain probably froze then broke due to the brittle quality.

Then Hitsugaya went on about textbook knowledge and Hollows. Yes yes yes, Gillians and Adjuchas and Vasto Lordes and whatnot. They seemed less threatening as words. But made tangible… they sent shivers down Moriko's spine. However, these mere words had the orange-haired teen quivering. Then Hitsugaya announced the real showstopper of the whole matter.

"The Vasto Lordes' powers are above those of our Captains."

Oh fuck. Real shit was about to go down. The Soul Society was doomed. Totally and utterly doomed.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Moriko made her way to spend the night at Urahara Shoten. She was greeted by Ururu who told her that the owner was busy. Moriko paled. Even a child could understand those implications. So Moriko gave Ururu a new dress as a present and went to roam the streets.<p>

God, Yoruichi. Getting it on already. Well, you've been in your animal form so long, I suppose it's only fair that you enjoy the finer things in life as a human. Ha! All the finer things. I like being human. Furlessness is nice. Clothes… not so much.

Moriko kicked a pebble down the street – it gave her something to focus on, other than her fatigue. She was absolutely exhausted. Even though she didn't do much… Ah, she was just a naturally lazy person.

It wasn't fair! All the rest of them had found places to stay. Wait … Renji was going to stay at the Urahara Shoten, too. Whoo! Was he in luck!

She looked up to see a great big hole between the worlds open. Uh-oh. That wasn't the Soul Society regulation portal. That only meant…

Oh shit.

**Thanks brah. For reading. And reviewing. Because I know you love reviewing.**


	2. I'm The Vixen

**Herro. Here's another chapter. I know I made the last one a cliffie. That was fun. But the way I see it, this chapter I'm giving you here isn't a cliffie. **

**Standard Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Enjoy!**

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><p>Moriko looked up to see a great big hole between the worlds open. Uh-oh. That wasn't the Soul Society regulation portal. That was a … A… Garganta…? That only meant…<p>

Oh shit.

Out stepped a man. An Arrancar. He had a shock of sky blue hair on his head, sticking straight up except for a few strands that hung in his eyes. His eyes were wild and maniacal and his grin radiated insanity. He had remnants of a Hollow mask on the right side of his face.

Yep. Definitely an Arrancar.

The first thing he spotted was Moriko. How unlucky. Really? Of all things, you choose _me_ to find. Great. Just fucking great. What, do your eyes automatically seek out any female in your vicinity? Are you _that_ desperate?

"Hey, kitty. You don't seem like much of a threat." He grinned. Moriko wanted to scream.

"That's 'vixen' to you." To the man, she seemed to disappear. Then he felt something on the back of his neck. Slight heat. Body heat from the tip of a finger.

He swung his zanpakuto to slash at her, but she had already disappeared. This chick was fast. And skillful. Her reiatsu was carefully concealed so she wouldn't be able to be detected. The bitch! He waited patiently for her to reappear. Concentrating on the space around him, detecting the slightest bits of spiritual energy …

There! He slashed upwards to the side of him. There was contact. Moriko slowed. Fuck! She clutched at the shallow wound on her arm. Damn. She hadn't bled in so long … So long … The blood.

Moriko rushed at the man. There was unspoken fury in her eyes, a feral glint. The fatigue that had weighted her earlier suddenly dissipated. Yes! This is the kind of energy I'm looking for in these stupid Shinigami! He blocked her punch with ease. She jumped back from the clash.

"Who are you?" Moriko spat.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! The Sexta Espada!"

"Sexta…? Sex? What the fuck…" Moriko shook it off. "Moriko Kobayashi. 5th Division, Third Seat." Grimmjow scoffed. Pissing Moriko off majorly.

"Third Seat, hmm? I won't even have to exert myself." Then he charged, his zanpakuto raised. Moriko braced herself. He was close… so close… His zanpakuto is long, almost as long as I am tall so his range is such that if I…

Moriko darted out of his way like lightning-fast reflexes, disappearing and reappearing behind him, slashing his back. He growled and whirled around, his teeth bared in a menacing growl. He charged again, only to be sent flying back by a powerful kick to his chest.

Grimmjow spat up blood. "Bitch!"

But when he looked around, she was nowhere to be found. He whirled around, checking for her presence. As soon as Grimmjow turned his back, he was flying in another direction. He managed to right himself and skid and land on his feet. He absentmindedly rubbed his bloody cheek and snarled.

"That's your zanpakuto?" Grimmjow gestured to the weapon in Moriko's hand. She looked and was suddenly overwhelmed by self-loathing and self-consciousness. Don't judge my zanpakuto, Hollow Bastard.

The weapon Moriko held was the size of her arm, hilt included. It had a sharp large edge that curved upwards, much like a skinning knife. She held it like a dagger. Gah! The bastard! Picking on my zanpakuto. I happen to like it the way it is.

Grimmjow used her momentary distraction to charge. Although Moriko's reaction time was fast, it wasn't quick enough to match the Espada's speed. She had been slashed from her left shoulder, down to the right side of her waist.

Her eyes were wide in surprise. Blood. How long has it been… Blood. She could feel it on her furless, smooth skin, dripping down her human body.

She used Shunpo and disappeared again. Grimmjow knew not to turn around this time. He was motionless, so she wasn't going to appear behind him. He knew to expect that by now. So where else could she go?

Before Grimmjow could blink, Moriko was in front of him, a flash of copper hair blocking his sight. He felt a sword in his gut.

Well, fuck.

She pushed herself away with a powerful kick, twisting her zanpakuto as she went. His blood dotted the ground. Moriko was satisfied, grinning to herself.

Grimmjow caught that smile. She was getting cocky. The bitch. He paused for a moment, mentally running through different strategies.

She used the Shinigami version of Sonido to transport herself. The problem was, this Shinigami trick was fucking _silent, _so he'd never hear her coming. She was quick, immensely quick, probably even faster than himself. She used her feet and hands well in hand-to-hand combat, delivering blows with much power. However… She was a tiny person and her zanpakuto was barely longer than her arm so her range was limited.

And that was how I just won, Shinigami bitch.

"You're fast," he commented noncommittally. Moriko smirked, replying, "I learned from the best." Her memories flashed to days training with Yoruichi-senpai, perfecting her Shunpo and her Hakuda. Thank you SO MUCH, Yoruichi-senpai.

She charged him again. Grimmjow grinned. It worried her. It was the maniacal sort of grin, the sort of grin one would wear when he was sure of his own victory…

Suddenly, she felt a sword in her chest, the right side of her chest thank goodness, but her chest nonetheless. She gasped as he pulled back his sword and let her drop.

Moriko fell to the ground, her breathing labored. Her vision was hazy and unclear. Which way was up? Am I on the ground? She didn't know. She glanced skywards – the stars were out tonight – to see the blue-haired Espada standing over her, the fire in his eyes gone. There was only ice, blue as his hair, blue as her own eyes.

"Barely worth my fucking time. He scoffed then he kicked her viciously in the side. She yelped and coughed up blood. Moriko could feel him walking away, his spiritual pressure dissipating. She curled up on the sidewalk, hacking up blood. Fuck! Fuck. FFFUUU-!

* * *

><p>After a few seconds, Moriko staggered to her feet and transported herself to the Urahara Shoten. I don't care if they're having sex! I've seen them do that before anyway.<p>

If one rejects something with their entire being, it's like it never existed in the first place.

Yoruichi caught her as she fell through the door.

"Get me out of this gigai," Moriko panted. When Yoruichi just stared at her, Moriko shouted, "Now!" Yoruichi did as she wished and slipped on a glove with a little drawing of a flaming skull. Yoruichi pressed her palm to the fox girl's forehead and she slipped out of the gigai. It fell to the ground, unconscious. Moriko, now in her Shinigami robes, sat on the ground panting.

"Was he good?"

"Exceptionally." Wow, that sounded freakishly like we were discussing sex.

Yoruichi handed Moriko a glass of murky white liquid. It looked mighty suspicious, but the fox girl downed it anyway. In one gulp. She turned her head at the slightest sound. It was Kisuke ,walking in from the back. He was concerned and serious, or one or the other or both.

He tossed her a tiny bottle of pills. The bottle had a skull on it. Very suspicious.

"Take these. You'll be healed. They weren't major injuries and you have a fast recovery rate so you'll be fine," Kisuke announced. Moriko narrowed his eyes at him.

"Thanks for the sympathy." She popped a pill. She could feel the aches and pains evaporate from her body. She tried moving her left shoulder. It worked. A little pang of pain here and there, but not as harsh as before.

Yoruichi looked at her, observing her condition. There was obvious concern in Senpai's eyes and that comforted Moriko slightly. It made her feel loved.

"Moriko, I want you to go on a recon mission." That sure caught Moriko's attention.

"Kisuke knows that the Hogyoku is in the possession of Aizen. He will, and is using it to dissolve the barriers between the Hollows and Shinigami to create an army of hybrids. You. You need to find out what he's doing and steal it back if you can."

Moriko was excited. Finally! Something fucking interesting! Her eyes widened and she grinned, revealing sharp canines.

"Shall I do this in my fox form? Less detectable." Yoruichi nodded. Kisuke stood up besides her.

"I don't have time to open a Garganta for you, Moriko. The Arrancar will most likely use one to return back to Hueco Mundo – unless they're all killed, which is less than likely – so you should slip through the Garganta they create." Moriko nodded and slipped off into the dead of night.

She scanned the skies until she felt a rift between worlds. There! There was one that had just opened! She came near it, waiting for the Arrancar to step out. Surprise, surprise. It was Tosen. That bastard. That traitor.

Moriko waited till he was out of range before leaping into the closing hole. Come on come on! I can make this. This is … This is intense. This is chaos.

The hole closed behind her and she found herself in pitch darkness.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow walked into the throne room. Aizen perched up there, on his lofty throne, judging all of them with his cold cynical eyes. Tosen had brought him in. Tosen, that bastard, he seriously had a personal grudge against Grimmjow. That didn't matter now.<p>

"Welcome home, Grimmjow," Aizen said. Grimmjow just glared.

"Well? Is there anything you have to say for yourself?" Tosen said. His tone was reprimanding. Fucking bastard. One day, we'll all look at something funny and laugh but you won't because you can't fucking see!

"Not a damn thing." Yeah. That's right, Tosen. Are you proud, you blind son of a bitch?

"…You bastard…" Tosen gritted out.

"Now, now, Kaname." The tone Aizen used made Grimmjow feel like a child. But really, in Aizen's eyes, that's all the Arrancar was. A child. A mere fucking child. "I'm not upset. Not at all."

"Aizen-sama!"

"I feel that Grimmjow's actions were indicative of a rare loyalty and a desire to serve. Is that not so, Grimmjow?" The Arrancar could feel Aizen's cold stare boring into him. He stared back. He felt the wound on his chest, given to him by that Kurosaki. Identical to the one he had given to that Moriko girl.

"Yeah. That's right."

The next thing he knew, Grimmjow was being held by the collar. By Tosen. The bastard. "What are you doing, Tosen?" Yeah. Seriously. Let go. Now. I'll cut off your arm if I have to.

"Aizen-sama!" The blind man suddenly shouted. "Allow me to execute this man!"

"Kaname…"

"Ah." Grimmjow was in the mood to play. In the mood to poke and prod and tease. "This is a personal grudge we're talking about. You just have a problem with me, don't you? Does that kind of attitude go over well in a commanding officer?"

"I think I should not have to tolerate those who sow discord. That is all," Kaname said carefully. His attitude about Grimmjow was parallel to his attitude about Kenpachi. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed.

"For the organization's sake?"

"For Aizen-sama's sake."

For Aizen-sama. Everything was all for Aizen-sama, all the time. Give me a break! We're all just pawns in his little chessboard match against the world, we don't matter, we're the first he'll get rid of. You, too, Tosen. You may not know it, but one day, this great Aizen_-sama_will just throw you away because he's fucking tired of you.

"Ha!" Grimmjow scoffed. "You're good at hoisting up that great cause of yours."

"Yes." Tosen had a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. It should've worried Grimmjow, but it didn't. "It is a great cause. Something missing from your actions. Justice without a great cause begets nothing more than slaughter. However… that same slaughter in the name of a great cause…"

Grimmjow hadn't even sensed Tosen's movement. But he felt the sharp sting in his arm then, did not feel his arm at all. It was flying through the air beside him, moving with the force that had severed it.

"..Is justice."

Grimmjow screamed. His arm landed on the ground. "Hadou #54. Haien." The appendage burst into flames, the outline of it turning into ash. Completely obliterated.

"Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck! FUCK!" Grimmjow clutched the stump where his left arm used to be. He could feel the blood seeping through his fingers, into his nails. That bastard! That fucking bastard! He had already almost lost today to some human _kid_ and now, he was missing his fucking arm! FFFUUUU-!

"You bastard! My arm! I'LL KILL YOU!" Grimmjow was ready to shoot his cero, ready to incinerate that bastard, that fucking bastard. Then…

"Stop. Grimmjow." Grimmjow glanced at Aizen, resting comfortably on his throne. "If you were to attack Tosen here, I would no longer have any reason to pardon you." Grimmjow gritted his teeth. Of course. He did this. On purpose. Manipulate me, why don't you.

"Excuse me, Aizen-sama," a pink haired bespectacled man walked into the room.

"Ah, Szayel. Did you need something?" Aizen smiled coldly.

"I found this…" Szayel announced, holding up a small red fox by the back of its neck, "this invasive species wandering about. Perhaps it was trying to be sneaky, but I'm not quite sure. It was fairly obvious." He threw it to the floor where it yelped and rolled over. Its side was bleeding.

Grimmjow, who had been about to walk out, now found reason to stay. That was a familiar shade of red… It wasn't even red. It was more of a copper color…

Aizen was interested, too. Very much interested. Much too interested than he normally ever was. He stood up – something he rarely did while in the throne room. He was observing the fox carefully for a few moments then smiled. It was an evil smile.

"Why don't you reveal yourself, Moriko-chan?" Grimmjow came to a full stop. That name… Aizen increased his spiritual pressure until it was absolutely suffocating. Even Grimmjow could barely stand. The fox disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Arrancars watched carefully.

The smoke cleared to reveal a young woman. She was small – very petite – yet one couldn't judge every person due to their appearance. Her eyes were a piercing light blue, cold and warm at the same time. Her copper hair was a short mess atop her head.

She was also very nude. Grimmjow stared.

Hot damn.

HOT _DAMN_.

"Moriko-chan. You seem well," Aizen commented coolly. Even though his eyes didn't stray above her chest, his gaze felt so invasive. Moriko, suddenly very self-conscious, crossed her arms over her chest. Shit! Why didn't I bring fucking clothes!

"Aizen."

"That's Aizen-taichou to you, Moriko-chan," he reprimanded. Moriko sneered.

"You lost that title when you defected, _Aizen_." The former Captain dropped his smile and stared at her with harsh eyes. Moriko studied him as well. He looked much different. For one, he didn't look like a nerd…

"How is Hinamori-chan faring? She recovered, I assume?" Moriko stiffened.

How dare he… That traitorous, murderous bastard! How dare he bring up his former Lieutenant! He hurt Momo-chan, mentally and physically. He deserved to die! I should kill him! Right now!

Aizen could see how the girl had tensed. He had struck a nerve.

Excellent.

Moriko could not allow herself to lose control here. Aizen was much stronger than she had anticipated; she could sense that from his immense spiritual pressure. How had he gotten so strong? So very strong? Not to mention his three subordinates in the room. They would cut her down the very second she showed any signs to attack Aizen. Well, fuck.

Grimmjow just stared. This was the same girl… she had had connections to Aizen. Of course, they were all severed now, but memories don't fade instantaneously. They haunt a person to a point of embarrassment, humiliation, pain, regret, loss… All those feelings and that girl was feeling most of them.

"I could kill you," Aizen stated. "There's nothing that could keep me from killing you." Grimmjow noticed how the girl relaxed slightly. Her shoulders dropped a few centimeters. Interesting. Aizen observed this, too. Nothing could escape his eyes.

"But that would be too easy, wouldn't it?" The corners of Moriko's mouth curved downwards slightly.

"Just killing you, releasing you from the pain of having to be here, releasing you from all duties and responsibilities. Releasing you from the stress, the pressure. Too easy. Much too easy. You enjoy the concept of suicide, don't you? It calms you. I know how you are. You served under me. I know you. You… You're the type of person that needs to be humiliated till you cling to life… Beg for us not to kill you."

Moriko's breath skipped a beat. Aizen's eyes narrowed as they locked onto Moriko's steely gaze. It was faltering. Her arms were shaking. Shaking so slightly, it could have just been from crossing her arms too hard.

There was absolute silence before Aizen sighed and closed his eyes.

"Grimmjow, you're in charge of Moriko." Moriko's eyes widened as she opened her mouth to protest. Grimmjow looked mildly pleased, but in fact, he had no idea what to do with this girl. "Do with her what you wish."

Fuck yes. _Fuck_ yes.

* * *

><p>Moriko sat on Grimmjow's bed, a reiatsu-stifling collar around her neck. She was fully clothed now, or at least HAD BEEN.<p>

She had been given the standard Arrancar hakama and a loose half shirt. She didn't like the hakama one bit. Too big and stuffy. So she stripped while in human form – because it seemed that her clothes magically disappeared when she transformed into a fox – and morphed.

Currently, she was shredding the hakama with her claws to make it a little shorter, less stuffy.

"You better fucking throw scraps those away later," Grimmjow warned, sitting on the other side of the room. He hadn't approached her since she was brought to his room.

All he did was watch her very carefully. He was hating this a lot. She was hot, but annoying. Hot. Annoying. The annoying outweighed the hot.

Moriko merely stared at him, observing the gash down his chest, almost identical to the one he had given her (although hers had healed) and his lack of a left arm. She morphed back and put on the hakama. Good. It was much better now. Ha! I'm not sleeping in it anymore. As for the top… Well. I suppose it could work. Somehow…

"So what happened to you? I don't remember leaving you like that." A vein pulsed in Grimmjow's forehead. She watched him seethe, very entertained, as she wrapped bindings around her chest. Don't want those getting in the way…

"…Fuck off." Moriko let out a laugh. "And I remember that _I_ left _you_ lying on a sidewalk, bitch." That shut her up immediately. Grimmjow smirked. She shook the annoyance off.

"Seriously. What happened to you?" Grimmjow's eyes narrowed dangerously. In a flash, he was pinning her to the wall by her throat, the best he could do with one hand, holding her at least a foot above the ground. She gasped for air and clawed at the Arrancar's arm. She couldn't kick him at this angle, she had no power.

"Seriously!" he mimicked. "When I say 'fuck off,' I really mean fuck off!" He glared into her eyes, the eyes that matched his almost perfectly. Those eyes screeched irritation and agitation, yet no torment. Grimmjow released her, letting her fall to the ground.

Moriko clutched at her throat, massaging it. The bastard! Will I be treated like this every day? Well, it won't break me! I've undergone torture, so something as minor as slamming me against the _fucking wall_ won't do anything. You may be all tough on the outside, Grimmjow-bastard, but I bet there's something that makes you tick.

"I bet it was the orange-haired boy. The strawberry. The human."

Grimmjow just whirled on her in rage and amazement. Did she have a death wish? She was certainly brave about taunting an Arrancar – and not only an Arrancar, an Espada. Numero sexta of the top ten. Aizen's best people. Aizen's bishops and knights on the chess board.

"Yeah," he ground out, feeling the words on his teeth. He caught her smirking triumphantly and vowed to wipe it off her face. Permanently.

* * *

><p>"No sign of Moriko-san?" Hitsugaya asked. They were all worn from fighting the Arrancar. They weren't even Espada. That was not a good sign. Serious training was the only part of the schedule from now on.<p>

Everyone nodded. They hadn't seen the fox girl since yesterday. Ichigo had noticed that when Grimmjow had appeared to fight him yesterday, he was already bloody and bruised. Most likely Moriko's doing. Did that mean she had lost to Grimmjow? Most likely, since he had shown up to battle Ichigo…

"What if … that Espada killed -?"

"Don't even think that!" Rangiku scolded. "Moriko's not _that_ rash. She actually studies an opponent before rushing into battle, unlike somebody." Ichigo felt targeted. Not cool.

"Perhaps she was abducted?" Rukia offered. It was tentative, and now the most likely answer.

"But what would Aizen want with her?" Ichigo was truly clueless in these sorts of situations. Then again, he didn't really go to the Soul Society before so… He was excused.

"She was a member of his division. Third seat of the 5th Division," Renji explained. "But that still doesn't explain what he wants with her. Turning into an animal isn't an exclusive power. Yoruichi-sama's can do it."

"She was sent there." All heads turned towards the window. There was a Sandal-Hat-san, perching on Ichigo's windowsill, much like he had done before when Rukia was arrested. He climbed inside the tiny room, standing tall above their seated heads.

"You sent -?" Hitsugaya exclaimed. Bitch fit alert. This captain was totally going to have a bitch fit. Before he could take a step closer to Kisuke, the former captain held out his cane menacingly, halting Hitsugaya-taichou in his tracks. Ugh. The cane.

"Aizen is in possession of the Hogyoku. One of _my_ creations. I'm responsible for it. I can't go to Hueco Mundo because I'm needed here. To take care of you wimps. So I sent Moriko-san to be my eyes, my ears and… well, basically, me. Understand?"

His reasoning made little sense to the group, but it wouldn't work to argue with this man. He was like a grounded boulder. Not even the waves could move it. Not even if the waves were immensely powerful. He would just sit there, like the rock, the boulder. Unmoving.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow hadn't expected that his new "guest" liked to sleep in the nude. He woke up one morning, expecting her to be gone, but instead, he found her sprawled on her futon. Blanket kicked aside. Limbs askew. Belly up. Also, completely naked.<p>

Great. It was hard enough that he had to suffer from morning wood, but this! Really!

He couldn't tear his eyes away.

She was a tiny person, fit and lean, but oh so tiny. Grimmjow estimated her to be 90lbs or so, and not even 5' tall yet. What a shorty. Her limbs were skinny. Probably just a thin layer of muscle and skin over her tiny bones. He could close his fist over her wrist and she'd still be able to wriggle around.

Her face was peaceful, as if she were back in the Soul Society. Totally unaware of the impending danger all around her. Her hair was a tangled mess. In fact, it looked like his own hair, except it was a shiny copper. And –hehehe – it seemed that copper was Moriko_-chan_'s natural hair color.

She was small, but she had curves. Her breasts were tiny. Grimmjow smiled with realization that one was about the size of the palm of his hand. It was cute. He hadn't even known that word existed in his vocabulary. It dawned on Grimmjow that if her breasts were any bigger, she would probably fall over.

Moriko's breathing hitched slightly. Fuck. She was stretching, stretching like a cat after it's woken up. He donned a scowl and threw his blanket at her. She yelped.

"Put some fucking clothes on!"

What a great way to wake up. Moriko had a theory that however she woke up would determine the outcome of her day. I am extremely irritated. But it's not like my day's going to get any better, since I'm in fucking LAS NOCHES. Ugh.

She scrambled to save some shred of her dignity, yanking on the shirt and the hakama. Moriko caught Grimmjow staring at her with a curious glint in his eye so she snapped at him.

"What!"

"Why do you sleep naked?" It was a sincere question with a hint of mockery. She'd let it slide.

"I don't like clothes," she muttered, tugging at the sleeves of the half shirt. They were itchy. Ugh. Itch itch itch. "They're like fur… I like being furless." She rubbed the pale skin of her arms and legs. She didn't realize that to Grimmjow, who was watching intensely, it was rather erotic.

He suddenly stood up and strolled out the door without a word. The bastard! Leave me here to fend for myself, why don't you? What if that freaky pink-haired bitch comes back? He'd do experiments on me!

Moriko leaned back on her futon, sitting cross-legged. This was seemed to be an interesting turn-out. Aizen had put her under watch so she wouldn't commit suicide. Tch. The idiot. It would be so much easier for her to end her own life instead of being labeled as a traitor. This fucking idiot was making it so much harder for her.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks, brah. Review? Please? Review?<strong>


	3. The Beast Within

**I have to write faster. =o= Kawaii Kon (**_**le anime convention)**_** was yesterday and so all my time was invested in that. Basically. ^w^ yay.**

**Anyhoo, read and review! **

Moriko leaned back on her futon, sitting cross-legged. This was seemed to be an interesting turn-out. Aizen had put her under watch so she wouldn't commit suicide. Tch. The idiot. It would be so much easier for her to end her own life instead of being labeled as a traitor. This fucking idiot was making it so much harder for her.

Aizen had permitted Moriko to keep her zanpakuto. For what reasons, she would never know. She preferred not to think like Aizen.

"Shikai," she whispered. Her zanpakuto appeared across her lap in its released state.

Moriko got into a meditative position and mindset, ready to delve deep into her conscience. Deep into the springtime forest.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Kitsuhime-san, how's it been?" A petite woman appeared in Moriko's inner conscience. She was a little taller than Moriko, but just as thin. Her red hair flowed freely around her heart shaped face, framing a disappointed scowl. She wore a furisode, with a landscape portrait of an autumn forest decorated on its front.<p>

"Moriko. I am disappointed," Kitsuhime said coldly. Moriko scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. The Fox-Princess stared at her with harsh golden eyes. "You allowed yourself to be captured. A rudimentary mission such as espionage and you botched up."

Moriko allowed Kitsuhime-san to lecture her like this. She couldn't protest or else the spirit of her zanpakuto would beat her into a pulp. And leave her to die. Ugh! Bitch!

Kitsuhime-san was cold and calculating and unpredictable. A lethal fox. Moriko liked to think of herself as observant and playful. A tricky fox.

"I apologize, Kitsuhime-san," Moriko said, bowing. She adopted a formal tone. "I did not mean to screw up so fatally but this enemy is stronger than I've expected. They are known as Arrancar, Hollows with Shinigami powers. I was captured by an Espada, an Arrancar with extraordinary capabilities. They serve directly under Aizen."

At hearing Aizen's name, the Fox Princess tensed. She bared a sharpened canine, a fang, and growled. Moriko was truly frightened. Then Kitsuhime drew her sword.

"Fight me. Defeat me. I'll give you power to defeat Aizen." Moriko grinned.

Whoo-eee. I haven't dueled Kitsuhime-san in so long. Maybe I've gotten stronger. But then again, as I get stronger, so does she.

She drew her own blade. It was small and weak, crying out for mercy. But there was no mercy here. Not in this battlefield.

The two foxes disappeared and reappeared sporadically. This was not a battle that could be followed with the naked eye. The only indicator that there was actual fighting was the occasional sound of metal against metal, the rustling of tree leaves and the light footsteps on branches.

The battle went on for quite some time. Sweat dotted the leaves, the branches, the trees.

Blood spattered on the green forest floor. Moriko landed on a branch, panting heavily. Kitsuhime fell against a tree, her arms wrapped around her body. She was wounded. Severely wounded.

Moriko had managed to think faster, be faster than her opponent and bore a hole through her chest. Bore a hole straight through Kitsuhime's chest. Gasp! Unheard of! There was no such thing as holding back when it came to the Fox Princess. Ha! If I held back, I'd be dead. Right now.

"Getting faster, Moriko. You seem to be doing well." Moriko grinned widely. It wasn't like her zanpakuto to hand out compliments. Especially to Moriko. "Never falter."

* * *

><p>A slamming door brought Moriko back into the Real World. Or the real Spirit World. Fuck. That didn't make sense.<p>

It brought her back into Las Noches, where she was sitting on the floor of Grimmjow's room, her zanpakuto in her lap, staring up at Grimmjow.

He seemed amused. Or pissed. Or a combination of both.

"Uh. Hi." Grimmjow grabbed her, pulling her so she was standing. The Espada backed her into a wall, positioning his arm above her head possessively. Whoa. What the fuck. He actually seemed attractive now.

_**What!#!**_

"What was that shit you were pulling?" he growled. His face was inches from hers. Their noses were almost touching. Their lips… whoa, baby. At this moment, they were sharing breaths.

"I.. I. Uh. What?" She was drowning in his eyes. They were bright blue, like hers, but narrow, more precise, more feral. Drowning, falling through the sky that was his eyes.

No. Not happening. This was not happening.

He. Grimmjow. Espada.

Me. Moriko. Shinigami.

Not happening.

"That shit you pulled. Your reiatsu. It was immense." His eyes narrowed. Her eyes widened. They stared at each other. "I thought it was Ulquiorra or Nnoitra, but it turned out to be you. So. What. The fuck. Did you do?" Heat radiated off of his body in waves.

"I didn't do anything. Nothing at all. I was just meditating. You know, kidnap victim and whatnot?" Moriko was nervous. Stuttering. Maybe it was because she was so close to being killed. Or maybe it was because he was so unbearably close, yet so far away. She almost let her eyes roll back. "Are you sure it was me?"

Grimmjow pulled away suddenly, confused and distressed. Moriko mourned for the loss of contact. Or lack of. Or whatever the hell it was. The Sexta Espada was muttering to himself. Moriko caught some Spanish words here and there, but she wasn't entirely sure.

"Ugh." Suddenly, the door had slammed and Grimmjow was shouting from the hallway. "You need something to eat. You're practically skin and bones."

Arrancar eat…?

* * *

><p>Ichigo wandered around town, searching carefully for traces of reiatsu. Of course they would hide themselves. Of course. It was only expected. He walked farther along, coming across an abandoned warehouse.<p>

The teenager walked inside. The warehouse seemed to be in utter destruction. The windows were cracked and the walls on which _those people_perched were cracked and ragged.

"Well, well… Seems like you've found our hiding spot." A man with jaw-length blonde hair awaited him on the middle tier, standing with authority. The leader. He raised his head and lifted his newsboy hat so he could take a better look at the orange-haired teen.

"For someone who sucks at reiatsu manipulation as much as you… to have found us is quite a feat indeed! But, we had a feeling you'd be searching for us. That's why we started throwing our reiatsu around to make us easier to find. So, Ichigo…" The blonde man was grinning now, as he always was.

"Now that you've finally made it here… Are you ready to join the crew?"

Wind blew through the air of the warehouse. Other than that, there was nothing but silence. Eerie silence. The moment was tense, serious. Ichigo raised his head slightly, parting his lips oh so slightly.

The answer was here.

"HELL NO!"

"EHH!" The blonde man practically fell back in shock. His name was Hirako Shinji.

"Me become one of your flunkies? Gimme a fuckin' break! The only thing I wanna do with you guys … is use you." Ichigo grinned. He had this all planned out. Shinji could see that. His smile disappeared.

"Whazzat?"

"I won't join up with you, but I'm sure that you guys can teach me how to quiet down the hollow inside me." Shinji paused. Then sighed.

"Well. Listen to you, talkin' so big like that. And just who do you think's gonna teach ya?"

"I'll just rip it out of you." This little brat was getting a bit pretentious. Scratch that. This fucktard was annoying as hell. But Shinji kept his cool. That's his power.

"Howzat?" He truly was curious.

"By force!" HA!

"Don't make me laugh."

The teen human pulled something from his pocket – from here, Shinji couldn't see – but suddenly, the boy was in his Shinigami form. And charging him. Fast.

Shinji hadn't even blinked.

**BAMF.**

He placed his foot on the hilt of his zanpakutou and kicked it up. He grabbed it expertly out of the air. "You're a crazy one, all right." The zanpakutou slowly slid out of its sheath, elegantly to combat Ichigo's strike.

The warehouse was noisy now, full of the sounds of battle. Swords clashing here and there, part of a pile of rubble being reduced to a cloud of dust.

Shinji wasn't attacking – oh, no. No. He blocked. Stayed calm. Actually, the exact opposite.

"FUUU-!"

"BAKA! What're you doing!"

"UWWAHH!"

The rest of _them_ just stood watching on the sidelines. They looked as calm as ever, watching the two's movements.

"He must think highly of himself to cross swords with Shinji."

"Baka. Look closely. Shinji ain't takin' this seriously at all."

"Although, upon closer investigation, it also seems as if Ichigo is not fighting at his full capabilities either."

"EEEEHHHHH? He's just scared. No matter how ya look at it."

"'Scared'… of what?"

"The hollow. I can't believe that kid's dumb enough to start fighting without calling out the hollow inside him. To think the one who's been rying to get in with us at this level…"

A short girl with messy dirty blonde hair breathed out and stalked away. She wore a tracksuit that looked oversized on her (maybe it was the slouching?) and slippers. Her zanpakutou was worn on her back. She looked sloppy and lazy and dirty, but she was as strong as fuck.

"Nyeh? Where are you goin', Hiyorin?"

"Hacchi," said Hiyori. "Buff up the shield five more layers." A man in a suit with pink hair nodded and walked off.

Ichigo and Shinji faced each other in battle, their zanpakutous held warily. "Ichigo… You…"

"SHINJI."

Suddenly, the blonde man was punched out of the way. He was sent spinning into the nearby wall. "OUTTA MY WAY." Ichigo was stunned. Holy fuck.

The warehouse seemed to be deteriorating from the inside.

"I told you to put five more layers on!" Hiyori yelled. Hacchi twitched, sweat forming on his brow.

"But I couldn't make it in time!" The short girl scoffed. Then turned to face the waiting Ichigo.

"Ichigo. Let me tell you somethin'. You're going about this all wrong."

"…Wrong?" No way. She was smiling now. No, this wasn't a smile. This was a smirk. A devilish grin.

"We really were considering letting you join our ranks. But… Ya gotta realize… That doesn't mean it's ever been your choice."

Now this. This was perplexing. Of course Ichigo had a choice! He had had a choice from the beginning. What was this girl saying? "What do you mean…?"

"I mean that the decision has always been on our side. I don't give a shit whether or not you want to be a part of us. We've seen your power… And we were beginning to wonder whether we should add you … to our team … or not. That's all there is to it."

Tension was visible now. Ichigo was perplexed. Hiyori was smug. This was all part of her plan. Make him feel as if he's not good enough. Then he'll wanna join. Then he'll come begging to us to join.

"Think carefully about where you stand right now. You have no right to make the final decision. If you have the power to become one of us. Then we'll teach you how to seal off the Hollow inside you. But if you don't have the power, then TAKE A HIKE. Go disappear and become a Hollow so you can die a dog's death."

Speechless. That's exactly what Ichigo was. Speechless and trembling, left staring at the back of the young girl who had just laid down the rules for him. Laid down the law. Practically emasculated him. Beads of sweat dotted his face.

"…I … I refuse," he responded. He seemed confident, but that look in his eyes said otherwise.

"Ya still don't get it, huh…?" She turned her head and horned Hollow mask began to form on the right side of her head. It seemed to come out of the air, out of her own willingness. "The goddamn decision… Isn't up to you!" The look on Ichigo's face was priceless. She was a Hollow. She had transformed into a Hollow, just like he had.

Hiyori took a battle stance. "If yer just too scared ta transform into a Hollow, tough shit. I'll come straight at ya." Her eyes narrowed and glinted in excitement. A maniacal grin took residence on her face. "And then I'll just rip that Hollow straight out from the confines of your soul by force!"

* * *

><p>Moriko sat on the floor of the room, munching on a chicken leg and rice. Everything was dreadfully quiet. It was almost eerie. Almost. The Soul Society was creepier.<p>

The food was bland. Not that she could request for them to spice it up a little. They'd probably kill her. This was the best she'd be getting at the moment. Ah, well. She admired the fact that it fell off the bone and appreciated the fact that Grimmjow had cared enough to bring her some food. It was no use just letting her starve. She'd just die and that would upset their precious _Aizen-sama._

Pssh. But Grimmjow gets a kick out of doing that.

Speaking of that Bastard-Espada, where was he? Moriko didn't care – _of course _– but she was just curious. Just wondering. Maybe he was hanging out with the Emospada. The strange Espada with green teardrop lines running down his cheeks.

She mused: Did he paint those on every morning or were they completely natural? She opted for the former. It was more fun to think about.

Suddenly, Moriko's keen hearing picked up on something strange. There was footsteps from the hallway. They weren't the lithe, fluid steps of Grimmjow. They were heavier and had a sense of urgency to them. There were two sets of them.

She immediately dropped her food and flash-stepped to the wall next to the doorway. The attackers wouldn't be able to see her at this angle… The door creaked open, slowly and hesitantly. Ha! Grimmjow would've slammed it open – had it been him – and crushed Moriko's tiny body with all the force from his swing.

When the door was fully opened, Moriko sent a powerful kick to send it flying closed, possibly injuring the people behind it. Yes. Those fucktards.

Breathing quietly, she listened for noises on the other side of the door. They hadn't yelped in pain or shock when the door slammed on them, but now they were muttering. Their voices were ridiculously high pitched for any one of the Espada.

Pssh. Loly and Menoly. The twin bitch squad.

The door opened once more, this time with such speed that Moriko had to dart out of the way to avoid the subsequent crushing. The shinigami really thought that the two would've blasted their way into the room with cero, but then again. It was Grimmjow's room.

"Look. It's the little Shinigami. Aizen-sama's little favorite," Loly commented smoothly. Moriko just glared on. These two were weak. Standard Arrancar.

Come to think of it, Moriko hadn't tested the new power she'd gotten from Kistuhime-san. Fuck yes.

"Left alone now. Grimmjow isn't here to take care of you. Left all ... alone..." the two mocked in a sing-song tone.

Moriko scoffed. "Like I need Grimmjow to babysit me." Loly and Menoly grinned widely, evilly. They advanced slowly. Moriko didn't move, staying rooted to the ground. It wasn't out of fear, but confidence. Anticipation.

"Ohh dear, you'll find out that you need him more than you think." Loly backhanded the fox girl across the face, leaving four long, red nail marks. Moriko hadn't even flinched. This fact irritated both Loly and Menoly. So they burst out from their calm demeanor.

Menoly had captured Moriko, holding her by the hair and the back of her collar. She was holding her completely still - not that Moriko had moved at all. Loly was having fun, scratching Moriko's face, arms, legs, belly.

I'm letting them have this. I could've morphed at any time, but I haven't. I'm letting them do this. Letting them have their fun. Just wait. Let them wait. They'll have it coming. Coming soon.

Suddenly, Moriko let loose a burst of reiatsu, momentarily stunning the two. The moment their hold weakened, the fox girl's defensive reflexes kicked in. She whirled, sending the Arrancar flying to opposite sides of the room.

Loly was the first to recover. She screamed and darted at Moriko, her eyes ablaze.

In a split second, Loly was grabbed by the wrist and hurled upwards into the ceiling. She smashed into the concrete then fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

Is she dead? …No, she's coughing. Oh well.

"Bitch! You bitch!" Menoly shrieked upon seeing her fallen comrade.

Blinded by rage and rushing into battle. The worst decision. Moriko had seen the Arrancar's outstretched hand even before she threw the punch.

Menoly suddenly found herself pressed against the floor, the side of her face crushed beneath Moriko's hand, her back crushed beneath Moriko's foot. The Arrancar's arm was being twisted, twisted, twisted until – snap! She screamed in agony and tried to retaliate. But it was just too painful.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow was standing in the open door, arm in his pocket, looking at the three women with contempt. Moriko glared up at him. Why was he here? Again? I thought he'd be out training or some other stupid thing. "I heard screams and thuds. I assumed it was a threesome."

"Get the fuck out," Moriko spat, releasing Menoly and jumping to sit on the bed. She looked like a child, sitting cross-legged and pouting. But children didn't know the word "fuck".

"This is _my_ room. Bitch," Grimmjow retorted with equal venom. He kicked Loly and Menoly out of the room, literally, and slammed the door on them, all the while ignoring their yelps and shrieks of pain. He went to stand over Moriko's tiny form, attempting to impress authority upon her.

It wasn't working.

"Soooo… Arrancars are just allowed to come into people's rooms like that?" Moriko asked. Grimmjow shook his head, mightily irritated.

"No," he stated. "I don't know how they got in. Maybe you left the door open or something." The Shinigami simmered. How dare he? She clenched her eyes and her mouth. Refuse to talk, refuse to breathe, refuse to give any indication how bothered she was by this. Keep your cool. Like all other times. Keep calm. Keep your sanity. Don't let it get to you. Don't let anything get to you.

"Yeah," she breathed. "I think I did."

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed dangerously. Her lack of reaction worried him. No. Not worried him. Agitated him. Irritated him. Annoyed the fucking hell out of him.

What was her problem? That. He had purposely set her up so she would blow up. Set her up so that she would explode and attack him and he would have an excuse to throw her against the wall and beat the pulp out of her. Teach her a lesson. Punish her. Destroy her sanity.

I guess I'm gonna hafta try a little harder.

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><p><strong>Short chapter is short. Sad beans. TT_TT But that's no excuse not to review. Right? Amirite? Review? Pleasepleaseplease?<strong>


	4. Losing Myself

**Yo, my readers. Thanks for readin'. Ya know I love you all, right? **

**Okay, some heads up about this chapter. Firstly, it's the longest so far. I believe.**

**Secondly, there's a SMUT. Shall I repeat that 'gain?**

**THERE'S A SMUT. **

**I think you got the point. ^/w/^ Oh, and if you're like my friend Jackie (ahem – extra virgin olive oil – ahem)… feel free to skip over this. I'll explain it later for you. **

**Mandatory Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach. I own nothing. Spoilers for Ch 217.**

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><p>Later that evening, Moriko took a bath. Surprisingly, Las Noches had water. Water for tea, water for cooking, water for baths and whatnot. And I thought it was all sand and dead trees and shit.<p>

Moriko despised bath time. As a child, it used to be her favorite activity in the world. She would sit in the tub and refuse to go to bed while her skin curled and turned into a prune. As a fox, she didn't mind the water. Her fur didn't get all poofy and shit. Pssh. She wasn't a cat.

But as a human in Las Noches… That. That in itself was quite unfortunate.

Aizen had taken necessary precautions. He knew that Moriko would attempt to drown herself – bastard didn't know a thing about her! – and appointed Grimmjow to make sure that unfortunate incident did not occur. What the fuck, man. That was as stupid as having Grimmjow around her all the time just in case she tried to hold her breath until she died.

That, obviously, is physically impossible.

So she sat in the tub, submerged neck down in the water, glaring silently at her "caretaker's" back. Grimmjow was sitting on the countertop, facing away from her. He could hear the occasional splashing and movement. Plus, there was a mirror. Heh.

"Why are you here?"

"You already know that." Good. She was talking. Keep talking. At least you're not dead.

"You don't have to be here. It's not like Aizen's outside that door making sure you don't come out."

"And I don't have to have my back to you, bitch. It's not like you could stop me if I wanted to try anything."

Moriko scowled. Grimmjow caught that in the mirror. Score.

"You only have one arm."

"Still an Arrancar, bitch. Still an Arrancar."

Ha! she thought. Still an Arrancar, but no longer an Espada. Some really femme guy took that spot from you, didn't he? Didn't he, ya proud bastard? She could say all this, but like he said. Nothing was stopping him from leaping into the tub and ravishing her. Not like she was appealing anyway though…

"My name is not 'bitch'."

"Fine. Woman."

Ugh. It was better than bitch. Still, she stuck her tongue out at him. Another thing he caught in the mirror. She was resorting to childish taunts?

"It's not 'woman' either."

"Do you prefer bitch?" Crap. Back to square one. Moriko flipped him the bird, making sure he caught that in the mirror. Yeah, she wasn't stupid. He was watching her the entire time in the mirror. That's the reason she was so deliberate in washing her arms and chest. Oh, and he did a terrible job of hiding his boner.

Grimmjow, however, had had the last straw. He disappeared right before Moriko's eyes and reappeared. On the edge of the tub. Sitting there. Just watching.

Of course, Moriko spazzed. Who wouldn't?

Holy fuck! She contained her scream by taking a breath but she had been startled nonetheless. Crap. This wasn't good.

Who the fuck did he think he was, just appearing next to me all of a sudden! I usually don't feel this way when I'm naked. People don't look at me with any sort of feeling. They acknowledge my nudity and move on.

But this… this look! Didn't he realize how embarrassing his gaze was? It wasn't lustful or frustrated or anything.

It was a piercing gaze… He was staring at me with hungry eyes . They're gonna devour me whole…

Moriko shuddered and sank deeper into the water, curling into a fetal position. Her face was completely red, a shade brighter and lighter than her hair.

Grimmjow bit back a laugh. Vulnerable like this, she was stupid and cute. He had normally assumed that she was unashamed of her nudity.

Maybe it had something to do with his stare. His eyes roamed her body, memorizing the soft curves he saw every morning. Her body was committed to his memory, no, not on a personal, physical level, but one of understanding. He saw the faint pink scars on her belly and arms and legs, scars from training and battles. He had those, too. With every movement, her muscles twitched under that thin layer of skin. She was lean and small and confusing and agitating, but he took it all in anyway.

It was quite amusing, how Moriko scrambled about to wave the water across her chest, as if it would magically create a non-transparent boundary. Silly girl.

Unexpectedly, Grimmjow stood up and left. The door didn't slam, however. It clicked shut.

He had left her to bathe in peace. Directly against Aizen-sama's orders. Well then. This was interesting.

Her brain numb from the past minute of embarrassment, Moriko toweled herself dry and shook out her hair. It was almost dry. She ran a hand through her tangled locks, flinching in pain as she came across knot after knot. Shit. I thought baths got rid of the tangles. Liars.

After a good minute or two just combing through her hair, Moriko looked at herself in the mirror. What had Grimmjow seen? Had he seen this proud, violent shinigami? Or did he see a small, vulnerable girl?

Hmm… Moriko wasn't a girl anymore, though. Puberty had hit (slightly… very slightly). She had curves, small ones, yet conspicuous ones.

Her shoulders slumped and her elbows were rough. She traced a path from her shoulder to her wrist. It tickled. She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Slowly up. Slowly down. It was unbearably calm. Her fingertips ghosted over her breasts, down to her belly. There were battle scars: a nick here, a scratch there. Pink and shiny battle scars. She skipped over that small patch of copper hair above her core and moved to observe her legs. Her knees were rough and dark and her calves were dotted with scars and stubble. Hmm… shaving would be nice…

By critiquing herself this way, Moriko saw herself as a young woman, barely out of teen years, disguised in the attitude and arrogance of a snarky adult. She was not beautiful nor was she ugly. This bare, exposed appearance did not exude confidence or bravery or spirit. It radiated confusion and frailty.

And she hated it.

Clenching her teeth and her fist, she punched the wall next to the mirror, leaving an indentation and blood on her knuckles. She wouldn't cry out in pain. No. Because she wasn't a fragile little doll, she would not cry.

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><p>Hiyori had had it with this insolent orange-haired shit-eating ass-fucking shinigamiteen. He refused to Hollowify. He had it in him but he wouldn't. So she made it a point to beat the shit out of him without killing him. Humiliate him enough to get him to Hollowify. Pssh, worked every time.

He was beat up pretty badly. The right side of his head was bloody, his uniform was barely intact. Practically pieces. His breathing was heavy and labored. If he had done bankai or Hollowified, then he would be in a lot less trouble right now. Stupid shithead.

"Hey baldy!" Hiyori shouted, drawing her sword. Her Hollow mask was resting atop her head. Couldn't use it too long. "Jus' lookin' at you pisses me off! Fuckin' scaredy-cat!"

She was pulling her mask down now. Her dark golden eyes were emotionless as she looked down on him.

"Fine…whatever! If it's that bad, have it your way. You ain't gotta do a bankai or Hollowify. Cuz… I'm gonna put you _six feet under…_" She rushed at him within seconds, their clash powerful enough to emit a burst of reiatsu and light. Ichigo barely blocked her swing and swore.

How is she staying sane even though she's become a Hollow? Part of his zanpakutou had chipped off where she had struck him. Her foot swung up to connect with his head, but he shifted his shoulders to block. And how is she putting on and taking off her mask? I'm fighting her directly… I can observe her… Watch! Ichigo, just watch! If I think about it, I should get it! That's why I came here! I won't do bankai or become a Hollow… She drew back her sword, ready to swing. He couldn't dodge in time, couldn't follow her movements. Shit! Hiyori slashed downwards, from shoulder to leg. It was a deep and painful cut.

I won't surrender my soul … to him … ever again… The blood loss was too much. He couldn't see straight… couldn't move… couldn't stand without feeling dizzy… Couldn't… couldn't…

A raging, distorted roar ripped through the sounds of the fight. The white fluids of a Hollow mask were forming on Ichigo's face. His eyes lost all color, succumbing to the darkness of his inner Hollow.

This was exactly what Hiyori wanted, yet at the same time, not what Hiyori wanted.

Before she could process Ichigo's transformation, there was a hand on her neck, its grip tight and merciless. Her mask was shattering, bits and pieces flying off around her. She was moving backwards at mach speeds. … What? What was happening? He transformed and now… now…

Crash! Her back had made contact with a wall. The grip around her neck tightened, till the hand that held her pressed its fingertips against the wall. She gasped for air, flailing. The sight in front of her was terrifying. A human boy, substitute shinigami. A maniacal, murderous grin had taken residence on his face, his Hollow mask forming around it. His eyes… they were beyond soulless.

Ichigo was fading now. She couldn't see him. She couldn't understand. What was going on? The color returned to her eyes as the color left her face. This was it, huh? This was the way it had to end…

Suddenly, Ichigo was pressed against the wall, five – no, six! – swords placed menacingly at key points and nerves on his body. If he moved, he'd lose a hand, his head, his eyes. What just happened?

The pressure on his mask increased and it shattered. Memories flooded back. Consciousness flooded back. He… _He_ was gone.

"That's sufficient." There was no tone of approval or disapproval in Shinji's voice. It was merely… a tone. "No complaints, right? Hiyori…" He turned to look at the girl. She was pressed against the wall, tears threatening to run down her cheeks. She could barely breathe. She felt as if a building had been dropped on her.

"You probably understand now, Ichigo. That your Hollow isn't some layabout that you can subjugate with your mind, your body or just by thinking about it," Shinji sounded different. Ichigo noticed this straightaway. There was no underlying laziness in his attitude, just grave seriousness. The look the Visored leader gave him was not friendly, but harsh and cold. His poise radiated authority and his tone demanded respect.

"You pass the test. We'll pound the Hollow Suppression Technique right into the very core of your soul."

* * *

><p>In the pale moonlight, Kuchiki Rukia stood atop of the Kurosaki household, clad in pajamas. She looked out over the moonlit town, attempting to detect something familiar.<p>

"I can't sense any traces of his reiatsu… Just where did you go to…? Ichigo…"

* * *

><p>It was unbearably quiet in Las Noches. That had always bothered Grimmjow. A drop of water could fall in the hallways and the noise would bounce all around, echoing throughout the complex. That was why Grimmjow made it a point to walk extra loud while in the hallways. Especially coming back from training.<p>

Training. That's right. That's what he was doing. Since losing an arm – Tousen, you fuckin' bastard! – Grimmjow had trained daily in order to master fighting without another arm for balance. He was getting … well, simply, he was fucking awesome. Now, he was able to do one-armed pushups. With only his fingers. Oh fuck yes.

He shoved the door to his room out of the way to find a small redhead fast asleep. How could he tell? The shallow light breathing of sleep. Sleeping. On his bed. She was on his bed. After explicit orders not to go _anywhere_ near his bed, she continued to disobey him. Fuck! Why are you on my bed in the first place?

Punishment. This situation called for punishment. Something unforgettable, something humiliating.

Oh. Yes. He had the perfect plan.

Whenever Moriko awoke, she would never open her eyes immediately. That was dumb. It was telling the entire world, "hey! I'm awake!" At least, that's what she figured. So no, she did not open her eyes. Instead, she became aware of her conscious state and alter her breathing slightly so it would seem as if she were still sleeping. She would use her other senses to relay information to her brain about her surroundings.

Moriko awoke to lips pressed over hers. There was no emotion behind them, merely pressure, enough pressure to ensure that she wouldn't be able to move.

Today, she opened her eyes immediately as she woke up.

Sky blue. That's the color she saw. A pair of blue eyes, glinting with mischief and evil. Fuck! It's _those_ eyes. Why is he on me? What is he doing to me...! Oh. OH. _This_ is the downside to sleeping naked. Why? Why aren't I stopping this… I should be…

His chest and torso pressed against her naked flesh, pressing his sweat and warmth onto her. It was unbearable. Moriko squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to watch him, his smug expression as he did what he did. She still could not understand why she didn't just kick him off of her. He had one hand and at the moment, he was very vulnerable. But then again, so was she.

She felt his lips ghosting over her cheek, her jaw, down her neck, against her collarbone. Along the way, he nipped at her, his sharp canines piercing her pale skin. Grimmjow reached the small mounds of her breasts, relishing in their softness.

Moriko bit back whimpers. His body was so hot… and attractive. Very much. The open, revealing uniform didn't help one bit. She gulped in anticipation when he reached her chest. Was he… was he nuzzling? Purring, even? She could feel the blood rush to fill her cheeks and knew she was as red as a tomato. Then she felt his rough lips, then his sharp teeth, then … oh. Ohh, his tongue.

Grimmjow smirked. Already? Licking up and down her breasts and she was arching her back into him already? Something else that would drive her wild… He moved to her nipples and bit down, circled his tongue around the hardened pebbles. Tch! Did she think he hadn't heard her gasp? He bit down harder and began to suckle, grinding his hips against hers, making sure she was aware of how much he wanted her.

Oh, she was aware. Painfully aware.

Moriko was having trouble breathing. She didn't know if it was because of the incredible jolts of bliss running through her body … or because he was crushing her. Hmm.

She closed her eyes and let her sense of touch take over. Her skin seemed to be on fire. Moriko felt his rough grip tugging on her hair, his hard chest squeezing against her torso and his bare legs… WAIT. His bare legs. When did he remove his hakama… She couldn't worry about that though. All she could focus on was the fact that his rigid member nudged against her core.

Shivering. Grimmjow felt her shivering beneath him, her face twisted into a mixed expression of pleasure and pain. He slowly slid himself up to press his forehead against hers then pushed himself into her. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream. She felt the tug of her hymen and the trickle of blood as the membrane broke. She briefly wondered if Grimmjow noticed. Then the pain arrived in waves. Gritting her teeth, Moriko forced herself to ignore it.

Their breaths and pants mingled as he moved roughly against her, taking all, not giving in return. He felt Moriko twist and wriggle her hot little body beneath him, trying to free herself from his weight, but he just pushed even harder, grinning at the high pitched yelp she released.

If she could, Moriko would cover her mouth with both hands. Her own body betraying her… Betraying her pleasure and vulnerability. She didn't want to feel this way but what choice did she have? It felt so nice though… when had she ever felt this way before? Ever?

Slowly and shyly, she began to meet his thrusts with her own, timid and unsure. Grimmjow smirked and thrust into her extra hard. Her long nails raked down his back, carefully and unconsciously avoiding the location of his previous tattoo. He clenched his hand, leaving a fist-sized dent in the mattress above her head.

No emotion behind their actions. Only feeling.

Moriko tensed up. There was intolerable pressure building in her belly, like a coiled up spring ready to be released. Her breaths became even more shallow and quickened. Moans began to escape her traitorous mouth, unwillingly and embarrassingly. She heard Grimmjow's chuckle and thrust up against him forcefully. The chuckle morphed into a grunt. This was unfair! He didn't seem to be suffering from this … this … anxiety!

He smirked, savoring the look of the expression on her face. Grimmjow knew what was going to happen, the rippling of her inner muscles told him that much. As she thrust against him, her legs wrapped around his waist, holding him there in that position. There was a glazed look in her eyes. Did she even know what was happening? Or had her animalistic impulses taken over?

Tch. It didn't matter.

Her moans died down into silent screams as she pressed her heels into his back, pushing him deep inside her. Grimmjow shuddered. The squeezing of her inner muscles, especially at this critical moment, was too too much. She was so tight, so hot… He forced himself to focus, stared past his blurry eyes, to watch her expression as they reached the point of no return. She was being pushed off the cliff, released from the strain, the coil in her belly.

Falling…

Her body relaxed and collapsed onto the bed, bringing Grimmjow along with her. Her legs and arms slid down off his back to rest at her sides. Numb. That's all she felt. Numb.

Moriko was very, very out of it. Her body was weak and numb from the pain and pleasure from their recent sexual escapades. She felt sticky and hot and swore that as soon as she regained feeling in her legs, she would go to the bathroom and take a very long bath. Quite possibly with bubbles. If that existed in Las Noches.

However, Grimmjow had much different plans. Totally opposite of what Moriko was going for, in fact. He had seemed to recover a lot faster than she and was currently making his way down her body, trailing his tongue down her skin. It was salty from the light sheen of sweat. He licked his lips, grinning.

Then Moriko felt him breathing on her center, on her most sensitive spot. The cool air of his breath made her shiver.

That didn't seem to matter. Grimmjow's lips pressed against her lower ones, gentle yet urgent. His tongue slid down her slit, eliciting a whimper from the girl. He was easing away the pain and aches, licking away the blood and fluid. His tongue glided along her inner lips, tormenting her with his ever slow movements.

Experimentally, she tried to move her hips. The motions were small and feeble, but not shy. Moriko had jumped over that hurdle just minutes ago. Her head lolled from side to side on the pillow as Grimmjow's tongue rolled over her slit, slowly and sensuously. Little whimpers escaped. It irritated her. But she couldn't close her mouth, her terrible, traitorous mouth.

She felt her chest heaving and oh, her eyes rolling upwards and god, oh god, the heat in her face. She felt so hot right now, with Girmmjow at her groin, kissing her like no one ever has, where no one ever has.

Grimmjow smirked. Power. This was what he craved, the feeling of being dominant over her… this girl. This overly defiant girl. She was now submissive to him, the king.

He wanted to hear her scream. Whenever she was about to, she had managed to stop it, release air instead. But never scream. Just moan and whimper and breathe.

Moriko was enjoying this light, luxurious feel of his tongue. Unexpectedly, Grimmjow plunged his tongue deep into her. And unexpectedly, she let out a scream. Panting, she felt his lips curve on her as his tongue writhed and rolled in her. Oh, oh, what was happening? That spring was coiling again within her. She needed it… needed it to release, needed it to free her from this amazing moment.

"Gri…" Grimmjow perked up, stopping momentarily. What was that? The urgent grinding into his face called him back to focus. He resumed his careful attention to the girl beneath him, pushing his long tongue further through her folds in hopes that she would say it. Say his name.

Close. She was close. Her breaths were shallow and ragged and even though Grimmjow couldn't see her face, he was sure that her eyes had rolled back into her head. Her inner thighs were oh so warm and wet and soft and delicious. He pulled his tongue out of her, earning a confused groan from Moriko. In return, he rolled the appendage over her clitoris, that sensitive bundle of nerves, and watched her squirm and scream, felt her legs bend and her back arch.

"GRIMMJOW!"

Grinning, Grimmjow lapped up the fluids leaking from the apex of her legs.

Moriko collapsed once more, still panting, still tense. The Arrancar didn't know it, but there were dried tears running down her cheeks. Moriko was once told that tears of pain escaped from the left eye while fake tears escaped from the right eye. Her left cheek. It was just her left cheek. She curled up under the sheets, rubbing her sticky thighs together. After a few minutes, she heard the door close. Not roughly, not gently, just closing.

Slowly, she stood up and made her way to the bathroom and filled up the bathtub with cold, icy water. But instead of sinking in, Moriko sat on the floor of the bathroom and stared at the calm water. Stared and stared till her legs were starting to get numb from sitting cross-legged and her thighs were beginning to get a little uncomfortable. When she found the will to move, Moriko sank hand first into the lukewarm water, thoroughly submerging her arms and feet, then her head, torso, legs. Till she was completely underwater. Sunken…

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><p>Grimmjow lazily wandered around Las Noches, hand in his pocket, till he came across the central throne room. How had he gotten there? The throne room had a strange magnetic pull to it. Aizen was there, as per usual, wearing that smug smile. Grimmjow just stared at him with narrowed eyes, slightly irritated and exasperated.<p>

"Yes? Aizen-sama?"

"I hope you know that particularly loud noises echo throughout the halls of Las Noches." Grimmjow nodded, forcing himself to bite his tongue, not to say, "Please, bitch."

Aizen regarded him coldly and said, "Although I don't approve of your methods of breaking her, they seem to be working." Donning a smirk, he closed his eyes and dismissed Grimmjow.

The Espada frowned. He never liked being told what to do. He never liked acquiescing. But the tension that suffocated him whenever he was in a room with Aizen_-sama_ encouraged him to leave. Run. Scamper. Get the fuck outta there. Just… away. Away from that man.

* * *

><p>Moments later, Grimmjow found himself in his room, safe and breathing properly. He looked around. The sheets were still bloody and sticky and moist. He gathered them and threw them into the hallway, supposing that the cleaners would retrieve them later. Can't fucking sleep on bloody blankets, can I? Hmm… the bed will still smell like Moriko though. I hope…<p>

Where was Moriko? Not on the bed… she certainly wasn't roaming around after _that_… Heh. I really did a number on her.

Then he realized. The bathroom. With Espada-level sonido, he pushed open the door to the bathroom to find her in a tub of freezing water, unmoving, head lolled down…

Asleep. She was asleep.

He almost punched the wall. Why am I so worried about her? She's a bitch, this shinigami, I took her virginity and she hates my guts… or does she? I recall her nails and heels on my back and her head rolled back and she was screaming, screaming _my name_, bitch. My name. I'm not supposed to care about her, this bitch… this … this girl.

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow drained the tub and carefully lifted the sleeping Moriko out of it. He dried her with his towel, rubbing her with the cloth as if she were a newborn and so wonderfully, so dangerously sensitive. Then he looked at her, unsure of what to do next. Put clothes on? Nah, she never liked clothes anyway. So Grimmjow dropped her on his mattress and left.

He couldn't her look at her like that. Vulnerability beneath him and vulnerability while sleeping were two totally different matters. Asleep, she looked like a child. He couldn't look at that child and remember that he had taken her mercilessly mere minutes ago. So, he left.

* * *

><p>Grunts and a strange screeching sound filled the air above the abandoned warehouse. Ichigo continued to use that strange walker Hiyori had assigned him to. Ugh! He didn't get this at all. He had managed to release his inner Hollow – who was an absolute BITCH! why did they make him do that anyway… - and he had expected something better. Like… say, intense training. Like the type Yoruichi-san had put him through in order to achieve bankai. Which was sincerely more difficult that this stupid Hollow suppression technique…<p>

"It's waaay past lunchtime, ain't it?" Shinji groaned, resting his hand on his cheek. "Yo. Hiyori? Can't ya make somethin' or anythin'?"

"… the hell, baldy? Why am _I_ the person who has to go an' make it!" She also was very very bored. "Even if I did make somethin', though, who says I'll let ya have a bite, _Baldy!_"

"Love…" A flamboyant man with extravagant flowing hair and a feminine voice was also bored. "When you were out earlier, did you happen to see the new single from "Prince of Darkness?"

A man with glasses, thick eyebrows and spiky hair – who, coincidentally, was also bored – answered him. "Forget that, Rose, did you read this week's Jump yet? What… what am I sayin'… You never let me read 'em in the first place!"

He who seemed to be a punk rocker applied bandages on his arm and said, "Lisa, you're the one on duty this week, right? Make sure you keep a strict watch on that shinigami guy, 'kay?"

The girl he was talking to, who was _supposed_ to be watching Ichigo, had her eyes buried in a magazine as she replied, "I'm doin' it, so shuddup."

"The hell you are! The only thing you're looking at is a porn mag!"

"Shut up… Go away… You're ruining it."

By now, Ichigo had had enough of this shit. That's all they did, talk and complain and whine and gossip and … read porn … while he spent the precious hours of his life on some stupid old fashioned walker. He had no idea what it did or if it even helped! What the fuck were they pulling?

"STOP THAT SHIT!" A table went flying through the air towards Hiyori. Luckily, she had pulled Shinji in front of her to shield herself. Smart, ne?

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Hiyori screeched. Under her breath, she muttered, "Don't get pushy with me, or I'll have to beat your ass. Baldy."

"Th… That's… my line…"

"NO! It's mine!" Ichigo shouted. "Even after you talked so highly about that 'subduing a Hollow is by crushing it' crap! How the hell does spending over a day on some fraudulent piece of _shit_ diet machine fit into those plans! Are you a retard! Or am I the retard for actually trying it!"

"Ehh… we're back…?" Hacchi and Mashiro sneakily snuck into the hideout, trying to avoid the impending fight.

"Yeah! You ARE the retard! The only retard! And a baldy! We're taking sweet time out of our busy schedule to train you, so you should just shut the fuck up and be thankful!"

"How the hell can you call that piece of junk 'training'! All you ever call me is a baldy, you bucktooth loser!"

"I'm not talking about your hair, dipshit! Your face is bald! And besides, my buckteeth are my charming feature, _baldy_!"

"You called me baldy again!"

"Ehh… I went and bought a bento, but … do you wanna eat it now~?" Mashiro offered shyly.

"Yeah yeah let's eat up!" Love smiled.

"What's going on with berry-tan~? Looks like a big mess…" She watched their unofficial leader bicker with the strawberry shinigami.

"I guess he doesn't seem to like the 'Super Hiyori Walker,'" Love supplied.

"Nehh~! After all this time!"

"If I was in Hiyori-san's shoes, though, I would probably would have explained the Walker's purpose beforehand…"

"Yeah~! She thinks just saying one or two things cuts it."

"Quit yer whinin' and go work out on that thing until your arms fall off!" Hiyori screeched, hurling the walker straight at his face. Infuriated, he clutched his bleeding chin, about to totally lose it.

"Hold on, Ichigo." Finally. Shinji stepped in. "That 'Shitty Hiyori Walker' will be the foundation of your training from here on out." Hiyori protested silently. "The level of your next training will be decided on how many days you can keep working on that. It's just like Hiyori says. Stop whinin' like a little shit and get back on the 'Shitty Hiyori Walker'."

"If you don't call it 'Super,' I'm gonna kill you!" Shinji ignored her completely, holding her at arm's length.

"The point at which we'll teach you how to control your Hollow transformation … will be after you can keep going on that for three days in a row, at the very least."

"You're outta your mind!" Ichigo complained. "I don't care if it's three days or a week – that's totally fuckin' impossible! I can tell just by doing it for one day! Just by touching it, it consumes a shitload of spirit power. That's the purpose of the machine! You want to know the maximum limit of my spirit energy when I collapse after working on this for days and days, amirite?

"That's why this thing is a waste of time! But I'll tell you right now… With my power, I could las on five days on this thing! That's why this thing is a waste of time!

"Just tell me already! The way to control my Hollow transformation! I don't have much time, you know! And certainly… Not the kind of free time I'd waste around playing with you 'Visoreds!'"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Shinji had lost it. He rarely lost it. His sudden outburst had surprised the other Visoreds, as well as Ichigo.

"'Don't have the time,' ehh? This coming from the guy who doesn't even know how long it takes to awaken the Hougyoku." Where had Ichigo heard that before…

"…wait. What… What did you say just now?"

"Whether it's about the Hougyoku or the Hollow transformation… A person who knows nothing, _like yourself_, has NO room to talk!"

"Wha-?"

"We know. About the Hougyoku. About the Arrancer. And… _Aizen Sousuke._ We've known it all. Long long before you ever jumped on the stage."

Suddenly, with a sudden step, he was in front of Ichigo, lifting his palm to the strawberry's face, leaving it there, leaving the shinigami frozen in place.

"The details though … can wait for later. We thought it won't hurt to allow your soul to adapt to our way of doing things. But after thinking about it, up until now… Your shinigami transformation, shikai and bikai were all achieved with a ridiculous amount of speed."

"H-how … can you possibly know all that!" Ichigo trembled, his voice shaking as well. Under pressure now.

"So maybe you really are right. Maybe it's best that we just go ahead and teach you about the Hollow transformation right away. That's probably the way you're better suited to anyway. Time to go, Ichigo." Shinji's eyes were obscured by shadows. His palm seemed to be pressing into Ichigo's face without actually touching him. Everything went white…

"You'd better not regret this."

Shinji turned to the pink haired Visored. "Hacchi. Put up the double-layer dislocation barrier." Completely loyal and forever unwavering, Hacchi moved his hands in a complicated set of motions, forming an immense barrier around the warehouse.

Can you hear? Ichigo… From this point on, you are going to transform completely into a Hollow. Don't let it eat you. Consume it instead. 'Cuz if you get eaten…

That's the end.

* * *

><p><strong>I had a lot of fun with this chapter. ^w^ <strong>

**AHAHAHAHA JUST KIDDING. **

**Ya know how hard it is to write a lemon? Nehh and they make it look so easy, too… If you want to know who "they" is, just search J-Pop Princess under authors. That's one of many.**

**Ugh… TT_TT" I need ta get bettah…**


	5. Rage and Story Time

**^/w/^ Ehh… It's been a while, ne? Sorry about that… But, I'm back now, aren't I? There's no smut in this chapter, though, it borders on it. This chapter's mostly rated for Grimmjow's filthy mouth and the influence he has on Moriko's language. **

**Spoilers for Grimmjow's history! But if you don't care, just read on.**

**Bleach © Tite Kubo **

**Enjoy! ^^**

* * *

><p>"Oy! Get up!" Moriko felt a soft pillow whack her belly. She woke up slowly, sluggishly, feeling strangely child like. She took her time in sitting up, taking deep, even breaths as she became aware of her surroundings. Her mouth opened wide in a huge yawn as the fox girl rubbed her eyes sleepily.<p>

Ugh. Grimmjow hated looking at her like this. Did she regress into a kid while she was asleep or somethin'? Don't tell me that I was the cause of this…

As Moriko's consciousness returned, so did the memories of the previous day. They rushed into her mind like roaring water through a slow opening drain. She remembered the heat, remembered the moans, remembered the pleasure…

"YOU FUCKTARD!" Grimmjow was greeted with a pillow to the face. He grinned. Nice to know she was back. As the pillow fell from his face, he noticed that Moriko had already began to yank on her shredded hakama and half shirt. Was she that conscious about her body?

"You don't have to hide it, ya know. Not like I haven't seen it before…" he smirked. Moriko's face heated visibly. Her lower lip trembled and her eyes glinted. Ooooh. _Smack!_

"Shut up!" Grimmjow grunted, holding his bruised jaw. He was pretty sure it was broken, what with the fox's hidden powers. "Mention it again and you die!" Foxes are solitary creatures, preferring to stay alone rather than be with others. But Moriko was once a human, too, and had a natural desire to be with others. She couldn't hide it. No matter how hard she tried.

Grimmjow yanked down on her collar roughly, much to her surprise, pulling her to straddle his lap. Smiling devilishly, he grinded his hips upwards. Moriko tensed as she felt the heat rush to her face and her groin. How instantaneous was her body's reactions… "Hmm… ya don't seem to be protesting here. When you really should be…" He moved to lick the shell of her ear, biting her lobe possessively. "Pushin' me away. I'm 'evil,' remember? Or do you just not care?"

Moriko couldn't breathe. Again? Again with this reaction? She willed her body to stop, stop whatever the fuck it was doing, but it didn't seem to listen to her. Stupid human will to procreate…

She was burying her hands in his hair, which was, contrary to popular belief, actually quite soft. The Sexta Espada snuck a glimpse at her expression. She seemed to be lost in thought, gazing up at the corner of the room…

"Idiot!" The back of his head collided sharply with the wall. Yet still, he wore that sado-masochistic, fucking-smug smirk of his. She stalked out of the room, grumbling something about finding some Menos Grandes to pummel. Oh, Moriko, Moriko-chan. If only you knew that it's my duty to annoy the fucking hell out of you.

Plus, it's fun as hell.

After a minute, Grimmjow stood up and followed her.

* * *

><p>Stupid stupid stupid stupid Grimmjow! He's such a fucking stupid idiot! What does he think he's doing to me, being all sexy and seductive and – GAH! – such a hormonal teenager! Hollows aren't supposed to have hormones anymore so why is he all… stupid fucking Grimmjow! He's a panther, right? That's his Resureccion? Maybe he's in heat… I know that when I'm in heat, I hafta be locked up and shit…<p>

Her hands involuntarily clenched into fists. She channeled all of her energy and rage and stress into that one fist and sent it flying at the nearest Menos Grande. It roared and collapsed, the weight of its upper body unable to stand, what with the giant hole in its middle. But Moriko wasn't finished. Oh, this was barely the beginning. She screamed and felt her own reiatsu flare up about her. In a burst of sand, she propelled herself up to kick a Menos Grande straight in its stupid looking nose. It gave a muffled cry and fell over.

For some reason, she was putting one person's face on all of these idiotic giant Hollows.

This is Aizen's fault! It's always Aizen's fault! Why doesn't he keep a better eye on his stupid fucking pawns when they're it fucking heat! Why couldn't he have killed me in the first place? Why did he even leave in the first place! It's his fault! All his fault! Everything bad that happens in this world is your fucking fault, Aizen, you shitface!

"I know another place you can channel all that energy … Moriko-chan."

The shinigami glanced over her shoulder to see the blue-haired Espada staring at her lazily, his sole hand in his pocket. The smug grin had camped on his face as he looked up and down her body. She was pretty exhausted, panting, her shoulders heaving as she did so. She slouched over, her knees bent, her arms dangling lazily towards the ground.

Wow, what a turn on.

Moriko wiped her cheek. A pile of dead Gillians were stacked before her. Impressive. Mucho impressive. She panted heavily, beads of sweat slowly making their way down her face.

"Lookin' pretty tired there. Don't worry, Moriko-_chan_. I'm sure I can protect you." Moriko plopped on the ground, glaring up at him, fire blazing in her eyes. Her legs had given up a long time ago. Her spirit, on the other hand, was a much different story. If she could, she would punch him. What a smug little bastard.

"How can you fend for yourself, Mr. One-Armed-Espada?" Her mouth certainly never took a holiday. That's probably how she ended up flat on her back _again_, staring up at Grimmjow's cold eyes, feeling the heat radiate off his body.

She craved it now. How sick. After one night of sexual pleasures, Moriko desired it again. Had he raped her? No, somewhere along the way, she began to beg for it, crave it, need it. Her sick traitorous body, wanting sex without her permission. Not with her mind, oh no definitely, not her mind, but certainly, yes, very much so with her body. But! But she couldn't let him see, couldn't let him know that what he had done was so life-changing…

But the Espada knew anyway. Noticed how her breathing hitched slightly and how her legs muscles tightened and how that little bit of pink spotted her face.

Heh. Got you.

"Want me to touch you?" Air caught in her throat. Yes… she craved it, wanted to feel the rough of his skin on hers… But … no! She couldn't! Not him, no, definitely not him…

Damn it, Moriko, get a hold of yourself! You're strong… you can do this! Don't let this Bastard Espada control you like this… This Sexta Espada… Sexy Espada? Ahh, he's taken control of my brain…

He grinned, baring his teeth, his eyes bright and crazy. "Jus' kidding."

Then came the disappearance of the contact, the disappearance of heat, the disappearance of pleasure. The Espada was off her within seconds. He was standing at a distance, hand in his pocket, his back to the shinigami. Her vision was blurry and swimming. All she could see was the blue of his hair and the Hollow hole through his torso. She could feel her heart racing, feel the heat lingering around her body.

Wasn't fair. It wasn't fair…

"You fucking pervert!" Grimmjow caught her punch before it landed. He hadn't anticipated the kick flying with it, though, and was soon skidding across the sand of Las Noches. Well, damn.

Moriko hadn't realized what she'd started. Attacking Grimmjow was like giving him a strip-tease (not that… she would ever … EVER do that. Ever). In other words, finish what you fucking start, bitch. Soon, Moriko felt the brick that was Grimmjow's fist collide with her gut. She fell to her knees and hurled.

"Stupid, shitty, perverted, idiotic…" Grimmjow heard her mutter. Well then.

"You're really red, Moriko-_chan_. Mad at me? Or just the opposite?"

He loved the way the fire lit in her eyes at those words, the way she came rushing at him blindly, in all her rage and glory. She was a beautiful fighter, calculating and full of surprises. She often caught him off guard and that only sparked his own desire.

Moriko's face was the only thing Grimmjow could see. Her fists and her legs were nothing but a blur, furiously striking at his body. He was doing the best he could, dodging and blocking with one arm. She screamed and channeled all of her reiatsu into her leg and kicked him across Las Noches. Grunting, Grimmjow dug his heels into the loose sand, wavering as he stood upright. Since when could Moriko do that? That sort of move was specifically restricted to freakin Arrancar!

He spate onto the hot sand and glared at her.

Oh, sweet Lord, he was so turned on.

"Do it!" Grimmjow shouted. He was barely bruised. Extra strong _hierro_ came in handy at times like this. But he wanted a challenge. Something that held even a little worth. "Release your Bankai!"

"Not in your lifetime!" she responded, wiping blood from her cheeks. Surprise, surprise, it was her own. She was battered and bloody and not liking it one bit. But she wouldn't release Kitsuhime here. No way. Kitsuhime would be so pissed at her… The Fox Princess was always mad.

Grimmjow responded with a punch to the face. Moriko gritted her teeth and buried her feet in the sand, hoping – since it was all she could do – to stay upright. Her stability was short-lived, though. She fell over within minutes as Grimmjow pressed his knee into her chest, forcing air out of her. She was visibly struggling to breathe, her face turning red enough to rival tomatoes, her fingers clawing at the loose sand around her. But the air wouldn't come…

What was this? I'm a master at hand-to-hand combat… I thought… I thought I'd be better at this!

She started to panic. Air! Where was it! Moriko's eyes glazed over and she force her arms upward into the sky, as if reaching from beneath the ground. She grasped Grimmjow's face with an open hand and let out a strained whimper. It was happening all over again…

"You're weak. Just like the rest of them. All those weak shinigami who dare stand against us, us Arrancars. We're superior in every way and there is no chance that you and your _people_ will ever find victory against us. You used to hunt us, seek us out and _purify_ us. Just look where that's gotten your stupid Soul Society? Towns full of "saved" souls, weak shinigami and pitiful Captains. But look at us. Us Hollows. We're a threat now. Never imagined that, hmm? We're a threat, you're scared of us and now it's our turn. To hunt. You."

He eased up the pressure on her chest. Grimmjow couldn't just kill her yet. No, that would be against orders.

But that wasn't his real motive. Simply put, it would be less entertaining without the fiery fox around to bother.

As he lifted his knee up, he could see that the fire in Moriko's eyes had been ignited once more. Her cheeks faded from purple to red to pink back to her smooth, creamy paleness. She inhaled deeply, as if it were the only thing she needed and stared up at Grimmjow. He stared back.

"Sh…shut up…" Pulling her fist back, Moriko delivered an unexpected punch into Grimmjow's jaw. He jumped up in a desperate attempt to avoid it, but he missed the timing. The ex-Espada landed on the sand yards away. By the time he had regained his senses and collected himself, the shinigami had drawn her zanpakutou, still in its sealed state, a wakizashi.

Moriko stood in a lunge, her left leg straightened in front of her, balancing all of her weight on her right leg. Her right hand held the blade above her head while her left hand was extended towards Grimmjow, as if she striking him with her palm.

"You're a rude dipshit. You were once an unthinking Hollow. As an Arrancar, you regained sentient thoughts, yet all you're still so wild and beastly. Nothing but an animal."

Her words stung. Petulant bitch! He was not some worthless Hollow as she insinuated. He was king… The fucking King!

She held her zanpakutou before her face, observing its blade. She ran a finger up the edge, till she reached the point. Moriko pressed her finger on the point till she could feel a bit of her skin break. A drop of blood ran down her finger. She licked it away.

Grimmjow shivered. He wondered if she knew how erotic that was.

"I haven't released Kitsuhime in a while. I wonder if she'll be mad at me," Moriko pondered. She could just imagine the Fox Princess staring at her with those icy, fiery eyes, scolding her once again, that reprimanding tone of hers slowly but surely battering Moriko's ego. She shivered at the thought.

It was slightly embarrassing, actually. That her zanpakutou had taken on the role of a parent. Usually it was the other way around…

"Pssh. Do it already."

Moriko responded rushing at him with inhuman speed, slashing at Grimmjow's cheek. She was still in the same fighting stance, a few feet behind him. Blood ran down her blade. It was a tiny cut, just beneath his eye. His eyes widened as he felt the fresh, wet, hot blood run down the left side of his face.

"Amazing. I can cut you."

"Tchh, don't get so cocky, bitch," he wiped at the blood, amazed at how the tiny cut stung so much. "Just got lucky. It won't happen again."

"Oh really now?" Moriko's infinite blue eyes were on Grimmjow now, looking down on him with contempt. Oh, how he hated that look. "Wanna bet?"

She rushed at him, sword at her side, its edges set to kill. The Espada raised his solitary arm to block her swing, hoping his _hierro_ would hold. It did. Thankfully. She struck primarily at Grimmjow''s exposed sides, tearing away the skin just under his open half shirt. Her sword arm was fast and he didn't have time to dodge all of her strikes, thus relying on his _hierro_ to protect him. Just in case.

But he hated it. Hated having to have a back up. Hated having to worry. "Just in case" just wasn't good enough. "Just in case" wouldn't protect him for sure. "Just in case" wasn't a sure thing.

Moriko darted towards him, the wakizashi held perpendicular to her body. She gripped the handle close to her side and felt the blade collide with Grimmjow's stomach. Filled with surprise, he coughed up blood as he rolled across the sand. Grimmjow growled and stood up slowly. There was no blood on his torso.

What? Then it him.

"How dare you strike me with the flat side of your blade! How dare you pity me! How fucking dare you! Bitch!"

Moriko hid her smirk with the flat edge of her zanpakutou. Of course he would realize. She had anticipated Grimmjow's reaction. It was funnier than she had thought.

"Do it! Go all fucking out! I don't want your pity! Hit me as hard as you can! I'll defeat you anyway!"

"Fine."

He braced himself, ready to counter the girl's next swing. She flew at him before he could blink and before he knew it, there was a sword in his chest. Just below the heart.

Shit.

* * *

><p>Moriko sprawled across the warm sand of cool Las Noches, too exhausted to move. Her body ached and even the slightest twitch of muscles made her groan. Her eyelids felt like lead; she could barely keep them from closing. When she breathed, it hurt. When she thought, it hurt. She was quite sure that she had a few broken bones, lots of lacerations, and maybe some internal bleeding.<p>

Grimmjow, a little ways away, wasn't faring any better.

"Grimmjow."

No response. She tried again, this time louder. He groaned.

Good enough.

"Grimmjow, are you a masochist?"

"…No."

"Sadist." That seemed more fitting, what with his crazed gaze and vicious smile and his desire to see her in pain. It sure turned him on.

"…Maybe."

Damn it.

Even though Grimmjow was a stupid, perverted, immoral, totally homicidal Espada, enemy of the shinigami, to whom Moriko was undoubtedly loyal to, she had to admit. Grimmjow was a great sparring partner. When he was truly worn out, he was actually approachable and somewhat of a conversationalist.

Moriko recalled the haughty little speech he'd given her before she beat the crap out of him. It was certainly interesting. His choice of words, how he looked down upon us shinigami… Her mind flicked back to days in the Academy. The lowest level of Hollows, the Gillians were formed out of a mass ball of vicious Hollows. They had noses. Giant noses. Not all of the Gillians would be mindless Hollow puppets under the control of Aizen. Some would have their own sense of consciousness and eat the others. Then came the Adjuchas…

"Grimmjow. Do you have an inferiority complex?"

"…NO. What the fuck kind of nonsense are you spouting, you irritating bitch? Get the fuck out." Moriko pouted. In fact, that's exactly what she wanted to do. Right now. If only she could move… Even twitching her fingers would be satisfying. She took a deep breath, savoring the air filling her lungs.

I'm stuck. Sorry. But you know what would be worse, Grimmjow? If I had large breasts. They'd be suffocating me right now. Hmm… how does Rangiku do it?

Then, came a slight breeze. Or Grimmjow, talking to himself.

"Regression."

"Ne?"

"Are you fucking deaf?"

Moriko narrowed her eyes slightly. Then again, it could've just been the heaviness of her eyelids.

"Yes, that's why I fucking responded! Now, what the fuck did you say?"

"Don't use that fucking language with me, bitch!"

"Grimmjow, shut the fuck up! Are you a fucking hypocrite!"

They both shook in annoyance and anger. If they were in a manga, there would be tiny, pulsing red veins all over their foreheads.

Grimmjow groaned then spoke.

"Regression. Before I became an Arrancar, I was a regular Adjuchas. To prevent regression, turnin' back into a mere Gillian without thought, I had to keep fighting and eating Hollows that were the same level as me. That was the only way. Apparently, I was a small Adjuchas. But… I managed to become Vasto Lorde anyway."

Of course, Moriko had learned all this before in the Academy, but she wanted to hear it from Grimmjow's mouth. She managed to work up the muscles in her face to smile to herself. That was a start. Well… the smiling _as well as_ Grimmjow's confession. Was he opening up? Was this the first time he was ever opening up? Surely, this was a start.

A strange feeling churned in her gut. Was it guilt? Anxiety? Pity? No, no, of course not. How could she feel those now? With Grimmjow? This … Espada. This … enemy. She had no right to pity the enemy. No, she had the right to do so. It was that Grimmjow was not worthy of her pity. No enemy deserved Moriko's pity.

"I'm probably the only Shinigami that remembers how I died." Grimmjow turned his head to look at her. The expression on her face was inscrutable as she looked up at the faux clouds. Her overall body language, however, was relaxed. One arm at her side, the other across her stomach, legs askew. But the tone of her voice held pain and sorrow.

He had known that a majority of souls in the Soul Society were deceased humans, but he'd always assumed that Moriko was the type to have been born into the Soul Society. Perhaps it was the way she held herself. She acted like such a bitch…

Although he had beaten to her a pulp in the last several hours, he couldn't imagine her dying. He couldn't imagine anyone killing her. Sure, Grimmjow desired her death more than anything when they had first met, but first impressions aren't quite reliable. Although… once a bitch, always a bitch. Right?

"I was young. I wasn't a toddler anymore, but I wasn't a teenager either. So… I was a child? Yeah, that sounds right. My family never lived in one place for long. Father was avoiding the foreigners or something like that… That's the weird part. I can't remember anything about my family or past life, just how I died. Just death. Fitting, of course, for a Shinigami…

"I'm out in the forest one day, playin' around, like any _normal_ kid. I'm chasing this baby fox, this kit, and I trip. Trip over this giant root. Stupid, I know. Very. Very. Stupid. Chasing a fox, right? Maybe that's I came to receive the gift of an animal form. Anway…

"I land headfirst into this little pond at the edge of the giant tree whose roots I'd tripped over. The pond isn't that deep because, see, if I tip-toe, my nose is above the water. So I'm kicking off the bottom of the pond, trying to bounce off the bottom of it but I can't. I'm stuck. A vine's wrapped around my foot, winding up my leg. I'm trying to bounce, but I just get pulled lower and lower each time. It's like the vine's enchanted or something, which is stupid. Unless it was a Hollow, then I wouldn't know what the fuck it was. But it's pulling me.

"So I'm underwater now, flailing my arms and kicking my feet. That's just making everything worse though. I'm sinking, submerging and I can see. That's the worst part about it all. I can see.

"I can see past the surface of the water. It stings to keep my eyes open underwater, but I can see. The leaves are orange because it's autumn and they're all falling. Falling on the pond.

"It was like a veil, separating me from the living world. If I could've just broken that water's surface, maybe I could've survived for a bit. Pushed back the veil…

"On the bank of the pond is that little fox I was chasing, just looking at me. Maybe it's offering me help… I can't tell. Bubbles float above my face, distorting my image of the fox and I know – I just know – that those bubbles were the last of my air.

"My chest feels like it's going to explode and no matter how loud I scream, I know no one can hear me. I can hear myself, though. I can hear myself screaming and yelling and it's all warped and jumbled and I'm not even saying words anymore. I can't move my arms, can't move my legs, but I can still see. See the living world which I so wish to be in right now. My mouth's open, but there's no more bubbles. The surface of the pond is so so clear… "

Grimmjow noticed. He noticed the calm in her voice as she narrated her story. Despite the weight of the story, Grimmjow could hear the fluency of her voice. But then… Then as she inhaled, her breath caught in her throat for the shortest of seconds. It took a while for her to exhale.

In that short moment, Grimmjow fiercely denied he was worried. As if she was drowning right now, drowning on dry land. The feeling of helplessness was a terrible and scary thing.

Damn it. So earlier, when he had... Damn it! The image of her, struggling under him [not in a good way], gasping for breath as if she would die, flashed back from the deepest corners of his mind. Damn it. He hadn't known...

"Grimmjow. I believe that I've shared my past –" The Hollow opened his mouth in protest before –"in full detail. You. On the other hand. Just gave me a bunch of information that I've already learned from textbooks. As I see it… this is incredibly unfair." Grimmjow couldn't see it, but a full blown grin had camped on Moriko's face.

The Arrancar screwed up his expression, thinking hard. "They teach you that sort of stuff in school nowadays hmm?"

"I know what you're doing, you stupid Hollow. And yeah. But not just 'nowadays.' But since … you know … since about a hundred years ago or so."

"Oh, you're that old, hmm? I always figured."

"Are you calling me old, you fucktard?"

"Pssh, I'm not nearly as old as you are." Moriko let out a deep breath. There was a groan mixed in there somewhere.

"See, you're dodging the point here by irritating me. Smart, yet not."

"I'm not dodging anything. What am I dodging?"

"…" Grimmjow furled his brow and let out a stream of air. Was he really going to do this? Damn it all to hell, he might as well. It was gonna be a while till he could stand.

"I was … a small Adjuchas. Small in comparison to all the other Adjuchas, I suppose. So one day I was hunting and everything, working hard to prevent regression and whatnot, and I came across this group of other fucks… who were much much larger. There was this one bastard, this giant shark thing and he wanted to eat me. Seriously. What a bitch.

"Anyway, I tear a bit out of his head and he starts screaming like anything and I have to admit, he tastes pretty fucking delicious. So this Grim-Reaper-thing asks me who I am and I answer because it's just the polite thing to do, y'know? Plus, he might as well know who I am if I'm going to eat him. And he says to me, 'Work with us Grimmjow…' in this pleading, melodramatic tone.

"Then he tells me that they need a leader and apparently, _I_ get to be that leader. Fucked up, since I'm so small. But he chose me. Their king, they said."

Moriko noted that smug voice of his and rolled her eyes.

"King! Imagine that. How can I refuse that? This group and I, we're together for a while, just hunting and eating and killing and that Grim Reaper begins to realize that not all of us can evolve into the next stage, Vasto Lordes. So they tell me, 'eat part of us before you go.' For a minute, I think they're just fuckin' around then I look at them and I look at their faces and they're totally fucking serious. So… I take a bite out of all of them and whattaya know…

"I become a Vasto Lordes and work my way up to become an Arrancar, then finally, an Espada, which I'm pretty damn proud with, if you can't tell by now. And I find all of them and they're Vasto Lordes, too, and I make them my Fraccion. Might as well reward them, ne? They're so devoted and loyal to their beloved king."

Grimmjow turned to look at Moriko, looking at her irritating inscrutable expression.

"You know…" She sounded kind of thoughtful. Grimmjow wanted to cheer.

"I can't actually empathize with you. I feel sorry for myself more than I do you."

"Bitch! You have no idea how difficult it was to reach that status…" he hissed. Then he saw it. The slight tug at the corners of her lips as he answered. She was playing him. Fucking bitch!

By now, he had expected a scathing response, yet there was none. Silence. Finally… He closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles, relishing this brief moment of peace. Sure, he was quite insane and, sure, a little psychotic and, of course, blood-thirsty – who could forget that – but beneath all those layers of crazy, he was a lazy bastard.

He looked to the side again but he couldn't find Moriko anywhere. …Eh? His light blue eyes scanned the sand and finally found a balled-up orange creature. Was she really so exhausted that she couldn't maintain her human form? Wow. Well, being as she was, she couldn't really defend herself, even against minor Hollows. Grimmjow, he had two choices. Leave her vulnerable and ready to die, or take her with him…

Damn it.

* * *

><p>Grimmjow breathed in slowly, absolutely loving the softness of the mattress beneath him and the pillow he was never going to admit snuggling with. Wait. He only had one pillow. And unless he had mysteriously stolen Moriko's pillow, then he had no idea what the fuck he was hugging holding.<p>

He opened an eye slowly, tentatively and came face to face with – WOAHWOW.

Mmm. This was quite the surprise, in fact, a really very pleasant surprise. And so, he reckoned that that limb across his chest was not in fact, an arm – mostly because there were approximately ten fingers threaded through his hair – but a leg. A smooth, surely naked leg. Of a woman.

This was rather nice.

* * *

><p><strong>Ehehehe… w/ Left you on a cliffhanger, ne? Yeah… that was fun. Don't worry though! The break between chapters won't be as long as this one was. How long was it? About two months? Don't worry~! **


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